The Jailer: the Awakening
by AznPuffyHair
Summary: KH xover. It all started with waking up in a strange place after battling the First Uchiha, then having this voice tell him about destiny and something about a Jailor, then gave him a giant key? Isn't his life bad enough? M for Language and future stuff.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: You know what's here, so don't bother me, don't sue me, and don't eat me.

XXXXXXXXXX

Drip… drip… drip…

The sound of water droplets hitting the floor snaps a 17 years old blonde shinobi awake as his cerulean blue eyes take in as much of his surrounding without actually moving.

Drip… drip… drip…

One thing is for certain, this is not his mindscape… Actually, this is far from his mindscape. White walls, tall white pillars, and a white ceiling high above him… His first impression: too white, no where to hide if some threat appears.

Groaning, the teen slowly pushes himself up into a sitting position, and lo and behold, white floors lay underneath him. Like he thought before, the place is too white. Sighing, the teen tries to stand up, only to moan as he grabs his head. It felt as if someone is slamming a sledge hammer on it rapidly and repeatedly.

"Ow… did anyone get the name of the summon that ran me over…?" The blonde asks as he messages his head with the tips of his finger to try and sooth the pounding headache. Actually, how did he get a headache?

Last thing he remembers…

"_PERISH!" Screams Tobi, AKA Uchiha Madara as he launch black flame at him. He tries to dodge, but the flame is too fast and he had being caught by surprise. In a matter of milliseconds, the black flame caught onto his hands and starts to consume his flesh._

_The pain is unbearable, the heat unrivaled, and the intensity unthinkable. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much that he can't even summon the strength to cut that arm off least he be completely consumed by it. He wonders briefly why the man hasn't done this already. Oh right, he was never angry enough to take off his masks as to use both his eyes…_

_It hurts…_

"_**Foolish mortal. Must I continuing to help you?! I refuse to be in such a weak VESSEL!**__"_

_Pain… heat… blissful unconsciousness…_

Blinking, the teen quickly check his hands to find that now only is it intact, it is a healthy tan, the same as before. Although the cloth was burned off, he feels that it and of itself is a blessing, even if it means owing the fox a big favorite… Err, that sounds bad…

Drip… drip… drip…

Oh right, the surrounding. Let's see, white, white, white… the pillars might be used for hiding, but still… There is an unknown light source high above, almost as if the ceiling itself is glowing, but he figures since there are shadows about, there must be a light somewhere. Seeing none, he shrugs before slowly easing himself into a standing position. Now he gets a better view of the… corridor he is in.

Blinking, he slowly turns around so he can take in his surrounding. Not too wide, not too narrow, just perfect width to fight in but also keep the destruction to a minimum. This is a perfect place for a straight out taijutsu ninja battle. Gai and Lee would love this place…

Tossing that thought of his head for now, he finds himself standing right in the middle of the corridors. To one side, there is a double door that is left wide open, leading to a stair case that leads downward if the descending ceiling is any indication. The other end is also a double door left ajar, this time containing a stair case that leads up… What is this? Heaven or Hell?

"Am I dead or something?" He asks to no one before jumping as someone indeed DID answer him.

_**No child… you are not dead. You have too much left to do.**_

Blinking, he rapidly turns his heads his way and that, trying to figure out where the voice is coming from, seeing no one, he drops into a defensive stance.

_**There is no need to be alarmed. You will not be harmed.**_

"Okay… who are you? And what do you want with me?"

_**I am… that I am…**_

Right… that helps how? Don't know.

_**As for why you are here, it is because it is time to face your destiny, child, as the Jailor…**_

"Um, sorry to say, but I don't really believe in that whole destiny and fate crap." He says as he scrawl at the unseen before relaxing his stance, though he never let his guard down. "And you still haven't told me what you want with me."

_**Ah, but I did child. It is time to take up the Soothing Breeze and turn it into a Raging Storm…**_

Just then, his right hand suddenly shoots up with a will of its own, and clench into a fist. A flash a light appears, forcing him to shield his eyes from it while something heavy settles into his hand with a _click_ as if a lock was unlocked. Then the light vanished. Blinking to get his eyes back into focus, the teen then gapes at the giant five feet silver and gold key in his hand; silver neck, golden guard, leather-wrapped handle, and a key chain. It's almost as long as him if you simply add on another foot and a half. Then he drops down onto his knees at the weight of it. "Holy-!"

_**Currently, the key is weight down by your guilt. Face it down and release yourself…**_

"Argh… I don't know what you're talking about!" He shouts as he tries to let go of the key, but find that he couldn't… Or that his hand WOULDN'T. "Hey, what's going on? Let me go damn it!" He continues to struggle as he tries to either lift the key or get it off his hand. It however proves to be too heavy to lift and that his hand simply won't listen. "Damn it, let go!"

_**Face your guilt, face your past, and face your regret… **_Then, he is bombarded by memories.

_Kakashi, dead by the hands Akatsuki as he tries to fend off the attacker simply known as Pein…_

_Chouji, impaled on a tree by a large wooden stake…_

"Stop…"

_Gai, died by overloading himself with the gate so the other can escape…_

_Lee, in a fit of rage, took down Juugo but die from serious injury…_

"Stop it…"

_Hinata, neck twisted at an unnatural angle while her killer continues to laugh…_

_Kiba, died of a broken heart as he watch Akamaru's corpse while Kisame's sword heads for his neck…_

"I'm sorry…"

_Shikamaru, sacrifice himself in suicide jutsu that took Zetsu with him…_

_Shino, carried in on a stretcher, maimed and broken…_

_**Face them, bury them, and let them rest in peace…**_

_Ino, died while taking a blow meant for him, and he would have survived anyway…_

_Neji, in his revenge for Hinata, forgets about the ability of one Madara…_

_**It is not your fault…**_

_Sai, smiling a genuine smile, held down Kabuto so he can be hit by a rasen-shuriken…_

_Sakura, bleeding, smiling, a large whole on where her stomach was…_

_**Let them rest… put the past, in the past, but do not forget about them…**_

With each memory of the death, the teen moans out an apology as tears pour out of his eyes. The guilt continues to weight him down, and the key only gets heavier and heavier while his hand grabs on tighter and tighter.

_**Let go…**_

The hand grips with bone crushing force, and the key weight enough to dislocate shoulders, yet he continues to hold on.

_**Let go…**_

Blood start to flow from the hand at how hard the key were being held, and the floor seems to crack under the weight of the key.

_**Let go…**_

_Bah, that's just like you… It's alright Naruto; it's not your fault…_

"SAKURA!" He shouts as his heads snap up, eyes widen and searching, frantic, hoping even knowing that it is impossible that she can be alive. "Sakura, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

_Baka, you shouldn't blame yourself you know? It's not your fault, no one blame you._

"But…"

_Gees, do I have to go down there and beat the shit out of you?_

"But Sakura… you can't…" Naruto laughs bitterly as he continues to stare into the ceiling.

_Well, then I guess you just have to go on some adventure now and beat your self up huh? So stop mopping around. It's time to pick your ass up! SHANARO!!_

"…Yeah…" The teen says with a bitter smile before he drops his head down. That's when he notices his right hand's state. It looks like it was boiled… "My guilt eh…? It'll never be gone…" With that, he lets out a breath as he feels his shoulder sag, as if finally free from a large stone that has be strapped to him. It feels good… so good in fact that he couldn't help but laugh. He laugh so hard that he never notice when he drops onto his back and starts to roll, holding his side with one arm while the other cradle the key to his chest.

_**Indeed, the first lesson: no matter how many times you fall, pick yourself up and keep on moving forward… The first lesson you taught yourself…**_

Oh right… how can he forget? Those twelve years of striving for recognition…

Sighing as he wipe away the excess tears lingering on his cheek, the teen stands up, noticing for the first time that while the key still is a little heavy, it is manageable now. That, and, "I can let go now…?"

_**Never let your past weigh you down, but never forget them and never bury them. While let bygone be bygone, always remember what happen, as it is what makes you who you are…**_

"…Right…" The teen says before he looks up once more, more relaxed, refresh, and some what content. "So what now?"

_**Now you choose… Would you choose the path of darkness?**_ At that, a light seems to beam into the stair case that leads downward. _**Or would you choose the path of light?**_ This time, a light beams into the stair case that leads upward. _**Choose your path…**_

"…Right… the whole choose-your-fate thing… It's just like Ibiki's test…" The teen sighs as he switches from looking to the 'path of light' and the 'path of darkness' repeatedly. If he goes into the light, it'll ruin the whole thing about being a shinobi wouldn't it? After all, a shinobi's life is in the shadow. However, if he goes into the darkness, it wouldn't be hiding, more like being consumed by it. Shinobi may kill for money, but they are no murderer. At least he isn't a murderer, and to him, being in darkness means becoming a murderer… But there is only the light and the dark…

_**In the case of in between, the path of twilight appear…**_ Just then, another door appears, this time right between the two doors, signifying that it is a path of light AND darkness.

"Well now, I guess that's the path for me…" The blonde teen says as he opens the door and steps through into darkness. Not deter by it at all, the teen continues to walk, and soon he finds himself exiting a door into the light. Once his eyes adjust to the light, he finds himself standing on a stain glass platform, and the platform is of him sitting lotus style, holding an orb of light, with nine circles surrounding him. Each circle depicts the head portray of somebody, some looks familiar, some doesn't.

But before he can continue examining them however, three lights flashes, and in front of him appears a rod, a sword, and a shield. _**The three paths of twilight await the new holder.**_

_**Would it be the path of the Sage?**_ The rod sparkles as it fizzle with lighting and simply ooze a calming power. _**Wise, clever, canny, and ever so curious, the Sage shall gain power through knowledge.**_

_**Would it be the path of the Warrior?**_ The sword lights up as it is then surrounded by flame, giving off the feeling of an untamed force of nature. _**Powerful, wild, unmatched, and forever raging, the Warrior shall conquer all that oppose him.**_

_**Or would it be the path of the Guardian?**_ The shield shines as wind blows from it while it gives off the feeling of an unmoving mountain. _**Unmoving, steady, soothing, and always ready, the Guardian protects that which is precious.**_

_**The three paths await, yet only one shall leave…**_

"Right, more choose-only-one crap…" The teen says with a shrug as he simply walks over to the shield with no hesitation and picks it up with his left hand. "And of course, do you need to ask?"

_**You have chosen the path of hardship, but the rewards are great… The third lesson: true strength comes from protecting that which is precious… The third lesson of your life…**_

"What happen to the second? **Crack… **Oh man, you got to be joking… **KAKRINK! **DAMNIT!! OOF!" The teen shouts as the platform broke and then he landed on yet another platform, this one showing a woman with red hair and red cat-like eyes, with nine of those giant keys flowing around her in a circle. "Great, let me fall to my death, I would so appreciate it." The teen mumbles sarcastically as he gets off his rear and dusts himself off. "So now what?"

_**To what do you protect?**_ Then three things happened. First, in a flash of dark smoke walks out a tall man with long silver hair, aqua-green eyes that seem to glow, and a sword that's way too long for its own good. Second, a dark portal appears and from it walks a person in a long, black leather coat –a she if the body showing through is any indication- with most of the face obscured by the hood that was pulled up. Finally, a teenage girl with shoulder length red hair in a pink one-piece dress, and laughing blue eyes a shade darker than his steps out from a door that appears out of the ground and simply emits light.

_**Would you protect those who walk in the darkness?**_ At this, the man walks forward and did a mocking bow, all the while a mocking smirk on his face and his aqua-green eyes shine with amusement.

_**Would you protect those of neither light nor darkness? **_At this, the hooded woman flicks him off while blowing him a raspberry, but the teen feels no ill intention from the person, only playfulness.

_**Or would you protect those who shine in the realm of light?**_ At this, the teenage girl silently giggles as she did a small curtsy while her eyes genuinely laugh WITH him, instead of at him. Her giggles warm his heart.

Now that's something he doesn't know how to response. The key in his hand also seem to repulse the two that are of darkness and in between… But then he notices something. Each of them is standing there relaxed, all as if waiting and see what he'll do next… as if they are his companions. Then he remember the lesson he learned between the first and third ones, so he simply sighs, smiles, and walk toward the one that is in between, and then past her. He knows all three turn to look at him confused; the man scrawling, the woman snaring, and the girl pouting. Just then, he stops and turn around while calling back, "Oi, what are you all waiting for, an invitation? C'mon, we got to go now."

_**Very good, astounding. Lesson number two, and also the most important lesson you've learned so far: those who don't obey rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worst than trash.**_ The three all smile at him, amused, teasing, and content respectfully. Then all three vanish the same way they appear, and the teen blinks before another door appears in front of him. _**Now we move onto the next stage…**_

"Well, at least this time it's not falling stage…" The teen says as he pushes open the door, and steps through. When he can clearly see again, he finds himself looking at a series of platforms, all connected by strange floating boards that make up cases of stairs. Shrugging, he starts off for the first stair case. _**To be a Guardian, you must also be protected, for a Guardian without his guards cannot protect anything, let alone himself.**_

"Right… a Guardian trusts his friends to watch his back." The blonde teen says as he arrive at the first platform (a silver haired boy holding a very strange version of the giant key, looking more like a sword made of leathery wing), and immediately strange shadow-like creatures appears. "Um, what are these?"

_**Heartless, hearts consumed by darkness that seeks to consume more hearts as to fill in the void.**_ Then in a flash of light, those creatures were cut down into pieces by the man from before. _**For the fight that follows, the strength of the Warrior is needed, for he provides the power that the Guardian lacks.**_ The man smirks, never noticing how another creature appears behind him. He would have been wounded if the teen didn't bash the creature –slash through it really- with the giant key. The man blinks before nodding his thanks. _**Of course, a Warrior, no matter how strong, is susceptible to arrogance, thus making them vulnerable.**_

The boy blinks before laughing at the irony of it all. What does strength matter if you can't protect yourself from it? "Hmm, that reminds me of someone…" The teen says before he starts for the next platform, the man following him with the sword held behind him. When he arrived at the next platform (a woman in black over all with horns made from her hair, a staff topped with a giant emerald, and pale skin coupled with smirking lips and half lid eyes), several creatures appear, some looking like cars, some like jack-in-the-boxes, and some like very fat men. The man leaps forward to try and cut one of the fat men, keyword being tried, as he was suddenly knocked off by a jack-in-the-box. The blonde teen leaps into action to block the follow-up attack from a car-like creature, but quickly got overwhelmed as several suddenly ganged up on him. Just as he is about to use Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to even the odd, several yellow kunais slam into the ground, and in the blink of an eye the creatures are all electrocuted by giant lighting bolts that shot down from nowhere.

_**The Guardian also has Guardians of his own, for they protect one another as no one man can take down an army, no matter how much strength. **_The woman in black coat steps out of a portal next to him and waves. Then the man appears behind her as he slices a car creature in half. _**Yet not all Guardians protect the same things, and some specialize in areas while other simply supports another.**_

"No one is all-powerful. Not even the Kyuubi. Everything can be taken down if we all work together." With that said, the teen starts off for the next platform again, the two following just a step behind him.

The last of the series of platform quickly come to path (it shows the same woman with red hair and the nine keys), and suddenly he felt the familiar presence. How can he forget? He'd lived with it for 17 years.

"**Foolish mortal. Do you hope to oppose me!? The MIGHTIEST OF ALL BIJU?!**" The fox screams as it pulls itself up onto the platform, in all of its monstrous glory, waving tails and all. Its blood red eyes glare down at the three on the platform. Then suddenly, the heavy pressure of killing intent lessens as a transparent shield appears around them all, and the teenage girl walks out of a door, while holding up her hands. She blinks, she tilts her head, and she smiles.

_**The Sage helps the Guardian solves puzzles, be it large or small, and provide knowledge when ever see fit.**_ Just then, the Kyuubi roars before slamming a giant claw into the shield, and the girl falters a bit. She suddenly finds herself being supported by the other three, and she lightly laughs, knowing she'll be safe._** Of course, the Sage lacks fitness, thus require the Warrior and the Guardian to protect, least the Sage comes to harm.**_

"Knowledge is strength; to know is to be prepared." The teen lectures as he remembers one of the lessons he'd learn from one of his mentor. After all, to shinobis, information is everything! Just then, the girl points at the Kyuubi's head and the blond teen immediately knows what to do. "Now let's take down this bastard! AIM FOR THE HEAD!"

At the last syllable, they all leaps into action as the man jumps toward the Kyuubi, the woman fires kunais after kunais at it, and the girl summons another giant key to her hand and stay near the woman. As for the teen, he charges off after the man and smirks as he sees the silver-haired man creates cuts after cuts on the Kyuubi. Then with a battle cry, he jumps onto the fox's snot and starts to whack away with the key (although he suddenly wonder why he uses the key instead of other weapons, but if it's in his hands, why deny using it? Besides, gloating right over the fox for beating it with a giant key!).

Then Kyuubi roar in fury, blasting both the teen and the man away by raw power alone. The two slam into the ground painfully, and just as a claw is about to slam on them, the girl dashes to their location and evoke a shield of light once more, but this time, it seems to reflect the damage instead of simply absorbing it. Meanwhile, the woman launches dozens of kunai, each laced with lightening that singe the fur of the fox. The fox back up a bit, protecting its face with one arm while its nine tails went wild by sending magic blast after blast towards them.

Seeing this, the teen pushes the girl toward the man, who instantly picks her up as the two leaps in opposite direction. The teen charges toward the head once more, weaving in and out of the blasts before jumping up and smashing the key into the fox's nose. The fox roar in pain at the burning sensation the key gives off, before launching forward to try and eat the blonde nuisance in one large bite, but instead of crunchy sensation, the fox only got more pain from the dozens of kunais that now pierce its inner mouth.

Moaning in pain, the fox retreats slightly to try and regenerate some of the wounds dealt by the insects. However, the group simply won't allow it the chance to regain its composure. In a show of teamwork that the blonde teen finds amazing, he and the man dash towards the woman, who charges up two spheres of electricity that then, coat the weapons of the two. Nodding to each other, the two charges toward the fox as the girl shoots out an orb of energy that when reaches the two male, forms into another transparent shield.

The Kyuubi roar in fury once more as it tries to bat the two away, only to meet resistance in the form of the shield, causing no harm but the raising of its frustration. The two then leaps as one, and in the same amazing teamwork, slams their respective weapon onto the fox's head, making it roar in pain and fury once more. "**ROARR! YOU'LL PAY!**"

"Ah shi-!" The teen never gets to finish his sentence as in the next instance the tails serge forward in a blitz, successfully knocking the teen and the man away. The woman runs forward, jumps, and catches the two, but was in term carried away too due to the force at which the two were sent flying. "**FEEL MY WRATH!!**"

"Eep!" The girl yelps as she flattens herself onto the ground just in time to avoid the beam of energy that shouts out from the fox's mouth. The other three though aren't as fortunate as they get hit by it directly.

It's so painful that they can't help but scream.

So powerful were the blast that they were push off the platform. The fox gives chase and it too jump off the platform. Seeing that, the girl too jumps off the platform, and thus beginning a sequence of flashy aerial maneuver while beings of energy and blasts of magic dot the void.

Then in a show of amazing strength, the girl catches up to the fox and with one mighty swing of her key, sends it spiraling onto an identical twin of the platform they fell of off, stunning it for a bit. The Warrior and two Guardians take their chance, having recovered during mid flight, and launch into a series of consecutive strikes that bash and burn the fox even more. Then as one, all four slams their weapons into the fox's head, effectively beating it back for now. "**To think I am forced to retreat…**"

"Bah, whatever fox, just admit you lost." The teen says as he shoulders the key and grin. "I'll admit I might never take you on one on one, but with them, I can, right guys? Huh? Where they go?" The teen asks as he searches around for his mysterious companions, only to find them missing. It's just him and the fox now, on that small platform… "Ah shit…"

_**Well done. Outstanding…**_ The teen jumps as he once again feels the voice from before. _**Finally, the shield of the Guardian. She who lends her power so he may successfully defend that which is precious to him…**_

Blinking, the teen stares in shock at the fox that growls at him. "What? It –she- is my shield? Wait, back up, rewind!"

_**Do not be shocked, for certain things happen for a reason.**_ Just then, the fox glows before she starts to shrink, and in her place is a woman in somewhat torn kimono, long red hairs in nine braids, and cat-like eyes that glare at him while her full lips are currently in a pout. In fact, she is the exact copy of the woman depicted by the stain glass platform… _**Now to formerly meet she who shields you from death, Kyuubi.**_

"Blah, blah, blah. I still don't like you." The woman says as she stands up on somewhat wobbly legs. "Damn, that really is quite a beating… I blame the keyblade."

_**Indeed the keyblade grants unimaginable power, yet the majority is that of the boy's.**_

"Whatever." Kyuubi says as she regains her balance and walks over to an alarmed teen. "Relax brat, the fight is over. Now it's time for your reward." The woman grins savagely as she quickly latches onto the teen, who yelps before said yelp is muffled by her planting her lips on him.

"MMMMM!!!"

With a satisfying moan, the woman lets go of the teen before tossing a chain towards him. Still dazed, the teen catches the chain in reflex and instinct alone as he continues to watch the woman laugh herself silly. "What just… why did… how in the… what…?" Then as if a switch is flipped on, the teen regain his balance and shouts accusingly, "I THOUGHT YOU DON'T LIKE ME!!"

"Oh-ho, I don't. But of course, the line is blurry." Kyuubi says mysteriously before she vanishes without a trace, leaving the teen standing there gaping at where the Kitsune was a while ago.

Sighing, the blonde exams himself and wince at his multitude of gushes, cuts, and burns that liter his body. It's almost a common sight if he do say so himself, him being injured that is. However he'd actually expected those wounds to be much worst. "Well, since I'm utterly lost on where everyone went and what to do now, I'll just ask the stupid question: what now?"

_**Now, you wake up…**_

"Huh?"

Then, as if a light switch is then flipped, everything vanished. Everything except for Darkness…

XXXXXXXXXX

"You think he'll be alright?" A voice, blurry and seemly muffled, says in another language as he slowly regain consciousness.

"I can't say. He looks quite hurt when we found him." Another, older and deeper, says in the same language. None of the words make sense though, and what about finding him injured? Wait, is this even Konoha?

"Oh but Penelope, he LOOKS fine now… Actually, now I think about it, he heals pretty fast." The first voice says, and he can feel a finger poking him in the cheek, where his 'whiskers' are. "Hmm, and he looks pretty cute."

"Alice! Stop pestering the boy." The second voice scolds judging from the tone, and the finger lefts his cheek alone. "Now, why don't we leave him alone so he may recover in peace?"

"Oh, alright. I suppose that is for the… PENELOPE! HE'S WAKING UP!"

"Itai… not so loud…" He groans as he gets into a sitting position, and blinks as he heard two gasps by his right. Looking over, he blinks again at the woman that is blushing while frowning at him and the girl that's hiding her eyes behind her petite and delicate hands. "Huh? What?"

"Um…" The older of the two mumbles as she simply points at his chest, where a slight breeze sends a chill down his spine. Seriously, it's not like he's half naked… um, wait. Sending the woman a look, he is answered as the woman nod shyly.

Right, so he is half naked, maybe even in nothing but his birthday suit. And judging by the fact that the two continue to blush with the younger of the two sneaking glances at him, his chest is totally exposed. Now that registered in his mind, he finds himself in a large, comfortable, and warm four-poster bed, covered by warm sheet and where his head was are several plush pillows. He is in what looks like a guest room of some sort of mansion if the elaborate and elegant furniture he sees are any indication. He is sitting in unknown territory, with people speaking unknown language, and he is at least half naked under the bed…

So he did the only thing that comes to mind at the time…

"Um… can you guys give me my cloth back?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note:

Right, first, you should know who this is, who I'm describing (or at least some inking of it), and where he eventually landed in. If not, go kill yourself with the entire Naruto and Kingdom Hearts series.

Secondly, I don't want to hear it about Sephiroth being down powered (again, if you don't get who that is, go slaughter yourself with the entire FFVII series AND KH series). Sephy is powerful, yes. But no matter how you put it, he can't go against a freaking demon that has pretty much infinite power AND is consider a force of nature. Even dear old Sephy is only consider to be a major threat that can be stopped (a major threat that threaten to blow up a world, but still, he CAN be stopped).

Thirdly, there WILL be gaps in the story details and plot line, since I'm still trying to work out the details, so don't pester me about what I am missing and what not. They will be filled eventually or never. Accept it and move on (insert evil laugh).

Fourth, this story is a plot bunny that is bouncing around a little too much for its own good, so I'm putting it down where it belongs: on paper (it's either that or the trashcan… mental trashcan… after it went through a mental slaughter house). And for any grammar errors or spelling mistakes you encountered, I'm sorry, but I am trying.

Lastly, don't bug me about my two other stories. I am working on them, but college and lack of ideas hurt… Me playing KH recently doesn't help either. So shush! I am trying...

So… yeah, enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own, wish I did, now let me cry…

XXXXX Five days ago… XXXXX

For Alice, life has been calm ever since she dropped into a rabbit hole only to end up in some strange castle. That, and meeting six other women and girl that are also what that mean witch Maleficent calls her: Princesses of Hearts. She can't forget meeting a boy a little older than her that uses a giant key for a weapon, a dog-like man that's not too bright, and a giant duck that got a temper issue.

Oh, and she certainly can't forget about how she was send back rather suddenly into Penelope's lap.

It all felt like a dream… But she knows with a certainty she doesn't have before that they are real.

Everything, Heartless, Keyblades, Princesses of Hearts, Kingdom Hearts…

All real…

Maybe that's why she is so restless now?

"Hmm… how long has it being now? A little more than a year? Or was it two?" Alice questions no one as she hops from one stone to another; careful not to lose her footing least she falls into the river she is currently playing at. Don't want to get wet now. "Well, either way, there is nothing I can do about it now is there?"

The girl hums happily to herself as she lands on the other side of the river, a bounce in her steps as she waltzes through the woods in her backyard. Life seems perfect, but and she decides to put what happened behind her.

After all, who would believe her?

"Oh look, meteor shower!" The girl exclaims happily as she watches streaks after streaks of light shot across the bright skill. "Wait, should I even be able to see meteor shower in the morning? …And why is that one heading for me? Oh… my… EEK!"

**BOOM!!**

"Owie…" Moaning in pain from diving out of the way of the meteor, Alice pushes herself up as she looks herself over and sighs. "Penelope is going to kill me… Maybe saying I dug a meteor out will get me out of trouble?"

Thinking that it is worth a try, Alice slowly walks over to the crater created by the meteor. When she peers inside, she blinks once, then twice, and then lets out a scream so loud, that in less than five minutes people working at her house came running.

XXXXX Present… XXXXX

"What should we do?" The girl asks the older woman, who appears to be her sister, as she continues to play with her dress. "He doesn't speak English!"

"Alice, calm down. Just because you saw him without a shirt does not mean you can forgo your manner!" The older one scolds as she waves a finger in front of the girl's eyes, forcing the blue orbs to follow it. "Besides, now that he is at least conscious, we should try and find a way to communicate."

"I was not drooling over him!" That causes the older woman to raise an eyebrow, and the girl quickly blush crimson at the implication of her sentence… whatever it is. After all, to him, it's all gibberish.

"Um, can you not talk about me as if I'm not here?"

"Now, now young man, no need to rush. Beside the fact that we can't understand you, you most likely won't be able to understand us." The woman says as she waves the same finger from before, this time at him. Then she launch into a long and winded speech about one thing or another, and judging from the groan the girl lets out, it's not very entertaining.

"…What is she? A lecture freak?" He asks as he stares, amazed at how the woman keep going on and on and on, never seems to pause at all. Doesn't she needs air?

"Tell me about it…" The girl answers in an exasperated tone as she watches with dismayed eyes the woman rants on and on. "I really don't know how patience and being properly educated relate to each other…"

"They don't. You are either patient, or you're not. It's who we… Hey! I understand what you're saying!!" The sudden exclamation halts the lecture while the girl blinks a few times before she squeals in excitement.

"Oh this is wonderful! Now we can communicate!" Then all the excitement dies down as a thought suddenly enters her mind. "…Just how are we doing this?"

"Alice? What… How do you speak his language?!"

Tilting her head, the girl turns to the older woman, mumbles something incoherent before she seems to perk up. Reaching into her white apron, she pulls out a chain alone with HIS necklace before handing it to him.

He blinks. The necklace he understands, but the chain… This is the chain that was tossed to him in that strange… dreams? It's a four inch silver chain with a clip on one end and the image of what looks like swirls on the other end. It kind of reminds him of his Uzumaki swirl, except it has jagged edges and is white with blue highlights, making it looks more like a cyclone or hurricane. Reaching out, he grabs hold first the necklace, then with some hesitation, the chain, and blinks as he feels as if long forgotten knowledge is regained, and that something in his head is unlocked. "Weird…"

"Oh my…!" The woman gasps as she holds a hand to her mouth. He just blinks at the fact that he can understand her just fine. "Alice, what did you do?!"

"Um… I just gave him what were found with him…" The girl, Alice mumbles shyly as she duck her head, her success long forgotten. Just then, girl perks up once more before she beams, and says, "Besides, this is all just a very, very strange dream… So wake up now sister."

"Huh?" That's all the woman is able to give out before the young man chop her neck and catches her before she can hits the ground. Then realizing what he did, he turn his gaze onto the young girl, and cerulean blue locks onto nearly identical shades and narrows.

"…How you make me do that?" He asks with a face so ridiculous that Alice couldn't help but giggles at him. This seems to be the wrong action though. "Hey! What's so funny!?"

"S-Sorry about that, but please just play alone for now…" Alice says as she clasps her hands before her in a sort of begging way while making her eyes all big and round… "By the way, what's your name?" Right, that ruins the effect.

"…Naruto…"

"Oh my, what interesting name… Well, I'm Alice, and it's a pleasure to meet you! Now let's see where I should put my sister… Oh dear, how am I suppose to move her?" Blink once, twice, an Eureka moment later, large, teary puppy eyes turn to handsome, confused blonde man… Problem solved.

And just like that, he suddenly finds himself standing, holding a unconscious woman gently so as not to disturb her, and more freaked out than before someone who shall remain unnamed implanted a picture of Sasuke and Sai together, naked, and on top of each other.

His first impression of Alice: what the fuck just happened?

Well, at least he has pants, just lacking a shirt.

XXXXXXXXXX

A little bit later, Penelope wakes up with a throbbing pain on her neck. Moaning, she survey her surrounding to finds herself sitting in a large chair, a book in her laps, and a half finished lemon aid on a table next to the chair.

But… "What…? Was I reading? Um… ALICE!" Quickly getting up, Penelope rushes out the room, run past startled maids and butlers, and roughly pushes open the door to her sister's room. Seeing the lack of familiar blonde hair and blue eyes, the woman quickly run off towards their 'guest,' having the strangest feeling that Alice is there.

When she arrives, she quickly turn the knob and nearly breaks the door off the hinge by the force she opens it, and shouts, "ALICE!"

"Ah? Sister? What's the matter?' Alice asks as she tilts her head back to stare at her, and lo and behold, there is the 'guest' wide awake and staring at her as if she'd grown another head! The nerve… Wait… "Oh, by the way sister, Naruto here woke up."

"Ah?"

"Hello, you must be Penelope. Alice here told me a little bit about you. And thank you for helping me." The boy, blonde hair that's rather messy and eyes a little more blue than her sister's says as he dips his head a little in thank. Not a single scratch on him.

There were huge gushes and burns on him five days ago… "How did you…?"

"Heal fast?" The young man says with a puzzled face before he looks up to the ceiling and taps his chin. "I don't know… I don't really remember much except what my name is. I probably heal really fast all my life?" Is that supposed to be a question for her or an answer?

Oh great, adding to that, he has amnesia. Can it get any better?

"Oh, and thank you for not throwing this chain or the necklace away. I don't remember much about it, but it seems to held major significance to me." The young man grins charmingly as he held up a four inch, silver with a clip on one side and a strange swirl with jagged edges on the other end that's in a white background with blue lines marking the swirl. She could have sworn that the thing isn't with the young man when she and the others brought him back… The green necklace of a strange crystal, yes, chain, no. "Oh, by the way, do you have anything to eat? I'm rather starved. Can't remember the last time I ate, haha!"

The grin! Oh it makes him so handsome. If he is perhaps a few years older, born of a wealthy family, and is devoted, she could… Wait, no, bad Penelope! Get away!! "Err, s-sure. I'll send food over…"

Quickly turning around so she can hides her blushing face; Penelope exits the room and closes the door behind her as she heads for the kitchen. She could have sworn she heard her sister mumbling about something behind the door and the young man laughing sheepishly. Oh the charming voices, the handsome face, the exotic whisker marks, the board shoulders…

NO! BAD PENELOPE!!

XXXXXXXXXX

"Good thing the servants cooperated…" Naruto mumbles with a sigh as he lean back into the head board. "Thing would get ugly if they didn't. After all, can't have a guy who was near dead five days ago walking around as if nothing ever happens right?"

Understanding the humor behind the whole thing, Alice giggles as she held her hands to her mouth. She wonders if she can convince Penelope to keep him around (oh, if she only knows…). "They're not servants, they're my friends. Still… amnesia?" Alice questions softly with a giggles in her voice.

As for Naruto, he can only grin sheepishly and lets out a chuckle. "Well, it's the easiest thing to do…"

Laughing softly, Alice can only shake her head. She must admit, pretending to not know anything, especially when there are no evidences to back her claim up, it is the best way to go. After all, she's speaking from personal experience. "Indeed…"

XXXXX Destiny Island XXXXX

Those strange dreams are back… Except this time, he isn't here for tests nor is he here to try and regain something long thought lost.

He is here to be told…

_**Find he who locks evil…**_

That is what he was told, over and over and over. There are always images of someone a year or two older than him, with blonde hair; cerulean blue eyes almost the same as his, and a long Keyblade that's almost as long as he is tall.

_**Find the Jailor…**_

And that is all he'll ever get before he is startled awake by his mother, shouting that he'll be late for school.

"SORA!! WAKE UP!! YOU'LL BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!!"

Like now…

"COMING!!"

Oh well, come what may, Sora will take them all on. He'll take them all on one day at a time!

"SORA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!!"

Err… first, the mother.

"HURRY UP SORA! DON'T MAKE ME GO UP THERE!!"

Eek… And Kairi…

XXXXX Disney Castle XXXXX

"Find the Jailor…" Mickey mumbles as he continues to stare at the same report page that he had being staring at for over the past 20 minutes or so. He can't help it. Usually dreams that involve Stations (glass platforms) are to be looked over. Master Yen Sid says they are important, for they told things that was, things that is, or things that will be. "Find he who locks evil…"

Sighing, the King puts down the report as he rubs his eyes warily. What should he do? He is now dealing with something that is no just about darkness and light, for no one can exist without a little bit of each in them (except the Princesses of Hearts, they're pure light). It is about Evil, and to have someone strong enough to lock away Evil…

Should he ask for Sora and Riku's help? Should he go off on his own once more? Should he team up with the other wielders?

What to do?

XXXXX Radiant Garden XXXXX

Aeris blinks as she suddenly got the sense that something large is going to happen. Something will happen that'll change not just the worlds, but the life of a lot of people.

"…I wonder…" The woman mumbles as she stares into the vast, blue sky above the castle they are currently reconstructing. Humming softly to herself, Aeris decides that there is no point to worry about it now. "Besides, what's the worst thing that can happen?"

XXXXX Castle Oblivion XXXXX

_**Wake up child…**_

…Who's calling?

_**It is time to take up arms once more…**_

But I can't… I don't have a body remember? Nor do I have the heart to do so… Hehe, no heart for it…

_**It is almost time; Redemption is at hand…**_

Redemption… now THAT sounds nice…

Months after the incident when Sora's memories were scrambled, someone again sets foot into the castle that never was.

A lone dancer glides into a particular room, and her eternal smile seemly stretches as she felt a particular presence there. A presence they all thought vanished almost two years ago.

_Welcome back, Mistress. We 'rejoice' and awaits your return…_

XXXXX ??? XXXXX

How long are they at this again? Constantly fighting in the realm of neither light nor darkness?

Days? Weeks? Months?

The clash of steels get old quickly, the thrill of battle is lost. The lesson was not learned, for HE continues to run from his past. And he, HIS darkness, will forever roam the world until he understands.

But, selfishly, he WANTS to roam the world; to walk, to breathe, to eat, to sleep. He wants to exist. Maybe that is why the lesson isn't going through?

"Why won't you disappear?" He has the nerve to ask this? My, such foolishness.

"Don't you understand Cloud? YOU brought me here. YOU are the one in darkness, and as YOUR darkness, I shall continue to exist."

"No, I won't LET you!"

"Foolishness Cloud, foolishness. Let the darkness feeds you. Forsake the light. Join me!"

"SEPHIROTH!!"

Sometimes he wonders why he even tries to use reverse psychology. Maybe because when it comes to Cloud, that's the only thing that works? He wonders if he can somehow convince Aeris to help and maybe a beating form that girl Tifa. But that's after he gives a beating himself so the reverse psychology can sink in.

Of course, can't ignore the sense that changes is upon them. But for now, Cloud is the more urgent business.

XXXXX Wonderland XXXXX

"H-How do you keep making me do things?" Naruto asks as he slowly adjusts his newly acquired bottom-up shirt, which fit rather nicely with his new dress pants, coupled with sharp dress shoes and a nice belt holding the pants up. He didn't even WANT to wear this… this… monstrosity! But the girl simply stare at him and in less than two seconds he finds himself already changing into the pants! JUST WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM?!? At least he remembers to do it in the walk-in closet that's built into the room.

After he finishes adjusting the bottoms, he plays with his sleeve's cuffs for a bit, so to get them a little more comfortable. Before he knows it, he feels a piece of fabric slipping under his collar, and there she is, putting on a tie for a man she can barely look over the shoulder.

Sighing, Naruto gently moves Alice's hands away before he starts to fiddle with the tie himself. Alice hums a bit as she sees Naruto fumbles for the correct ways to tie the tie, before she simply waves her fingers as if conducting a symphony, and voila! The tie is done. "…You really, really need to stop doing that…"

"Hmm, to tell you the truth, I don't know how I'm doing this. Just that for some reason I simply KNOW you won't refuse my request…" Alice chirps happily as she hands over a black vest for the young man. "Well, it's probably one of those things we were not meant to understand. Besides, no one is complaining now right?"

"…I am…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I did not know! I'll refrain from doing so in the future!"

"Umm… right… And what's this for?" Naruto asks after he finishes putting on the vest and is handed a pocket watch. Flipping it open, he sees that it is rather classic, coming with its own screw to tighten the spring and all. Then he suddenly notices something else about the watch: it's rather old.

"It's my father's." Alice says softly as she helps the stunned blonde clips on the watch and then gently slips the strange four-inch chain onto the watch. "Well, I never personally knew my father, just stories and paintings. They say my mother passed away giving birth to me, and my father died not long later by some disease. So I never get to know any of them; just stories and paintings…"

Silence reign supreme for a while as Naruto watches Alice's delicate fingers caress the watch's chain, an unfocused look about her face. He is curious about it though, since why give him something as important as this? Seemly sensing the unspoken question, Alice tilts her head to the side gently, and answers, "Penelope won't mind I believe. After all, it'll serve you better than it serves her. She did claim that women don't need watches. Oh what am I saying? Look at me, rumbling on like this." Alice grumbles, her cheeks a tint pink as she lightly laughs off the previous few minutes of awkwardness.

Sighing, she reaches around and produces a black jacket and motion for Naruto to put on. When he does that, she produces a pair of white gloves for him. Raising an eye brow, the young man silently puts on the glows and then lets his hands fall limply to his sides. His audience and dresser (because for some strange reason unknown, SHE picked out his cloth) run her eyes over him, checking for every details and little nick-knacks. She smooth a wrinkle here, pulls off a strand of hair there, brush some dust off there, and finally she stands back and clasps her hands behind her with a dreamy smile on her face. "There, almost like father… just need to tame those hair of yours and grew you a beard."

Right, now that's strange. Searching the room, Naruto easily finds a full length mirror. Walking over, he is surprised to find the young, stunning man staring back at him, completely different from the usual chap that runs off into battle heads on.

Gone is the shinobi that safes and takes lives, and in his place stands a refined man with untamed hair, soulful cerulean eyes, and a face that is in the words of Tsunade: a heartbreaker. He is in a black suit with white shirt, a tie that matches his eyes, and shined black shoes. The chain for the pocket watch is visible, a golden arc where his heart is, and following it is the silver chain, easily resting in the pocket the watch is no located. Naruto stares for a minute longer before turning to Alice, who has moved to his side sometime during his examination.

The girl places herself on his left side, gently link her right arm with his and place her left hand on his elbow. The girl leans into him a bit and smiles at the image the mirror shows. "We look like siblings… You look so much like father in his paintings…"

While she may not feel it, Naruto finds himself nearly drowning in the awkwardness provided by the situation. Here is a girl he barely knows, just met in fact, already treating him like some sort of long lost brother. Don't get him wrong, he finds it rather nice, always want a cute little sister; but just so sudden and all! He wonders what the older sibling would see if she walks in now.

"Alice? Naruto was it? I brought… Oh my…" Speak of the devil.

"Oh, Penelope, doesn't he look just like father?" Alice asks as she spins the young man around, and Naruto watch awkwardly as the older sister blinks with what seems like tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. Feeling his awkward level shooting up, he decides to try and save some drama and clear his throat. The woman quickly snaps out of her daze and apologize. "S-sorry. It's just that you really… Do look like father. It's a frightening resemblance in fact."

"Alice says I'm more of a long lost brother… or at least she implies it…" The blonde man says as he adjusts his tie, wondering if it's always this tight. The woman, Penelope just smiles softly as she sets a tray of bread, tea, and some other little things on the bedside table. With that done, she walks over to Naruto and without warning, reaches out and helps him loosen the tie a little. Startled, he uses his entire training not to jump back from it; he must have let his guards down…

"There… that should do it. She's right. It's like I'd know you all my life." Penelope whispers out the last part, slightly surprised and confused at the same time. The confusion is not lost on him.

"Err… t-thanks?"

Penelope just smiles before she waves it off, and say, "No need, it's the least I can do. Now come alone Alice, leave the man in peace for a bit. We'll show him the mansion later." The elder sibling says as she gently leads the girl out the room, but not before the younger sister shoots a "see you later" did they leave.

Remember when he says that he is freaked out by Alice's first impression? Well, this one tops it already.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Alice, what was that all about? And why is he in father's cloth?"

"Well, it's just struck me… I can't help it. I want to see what father would look like in real life, not just in painting. Besides, you notice the resemblance right away didn't you?"

"Well, yes, but-!"

"Well, then that settles it…" The younger sister beams happily as the older one sighs in defeat. She has her way with people. As the two continue walking, a comfortable silence settles over them. However, they both knew it'll be broken by the one question they are both trying to figure out. "…Are we going to let him stay?" Alice asks softly as the sisters slowly walks down the hall toward the library. "I mean, he has amnesia, and we can't simply leave him alone now can we?"

"…I'll think about it." Penelope says with her thoughts of love interest in the young man long forgotten. He really looks a lot like father. "We'll see if we can put him to work here…"

"Hmm, he seems like a good gardener?" The younger one suggests, gaining a raise eye brow in return and a blush in embarrassment. "H-He just strikes me as one…"

"Well, we never know. We hardly even know anything about him truthfully." Penelope chuckles at the sound of it. A stranger from unknown land is going to stay with the sisters? Oh, her father is probably rolling over in his grave.

"I for one am not worry about him being a bad character."

"…We'll see. We'll see…" That said, another silence falls over them, pushing each sisters into her own thoughts. The older wonder what she is really going to do with the unknown guest. The younger pondering upon herself if lying about the man having amnesia is the actual thing to do.

Mentally sighing to herself, Alice decides to not doubt her instinct on the man: he is a good guy. No use worrying about his character, because he seems to be the secretive sort. So with a determined nod, Alice continues to trail her sister and thinks, 'Well, we'll see how it goes from here I suppose. He can't be a bad person. I can feel it. Besides, he'll tell me when he is ready.'

XXXXXXXXXX

That night, Alice dreams. She doesn't dream of her wonderland, of strange creatures and magical beings, of mad tea parties and Cheshire grins.

No, she dreams of a beautiful woman with long red hair in nine braids with cat like eyes dressed in an odd garment that is also red, but decorated with white butterflies.

She dreams of how the woman scrutinize her well walking circles around her, before nodding to herself with a satisfying grin and roughly pulls her into a hug, pressing her face into the woman's shapely bosoms. For years to come, Alice would learn that people would kill for where she is currently.

She dreams of how the woman whispers in her ear, her breath gently brushing it, causing shivers to run down her spine. She is darkness, yet oddly enough, Alice is not afraid. Rather, she gently puts her arms around the woman, in a loose but affectionate embraces.

"For now, you will act as his light. Keep him safe, or I will do it my way."

She dreams of how she stiffens in terror, knowing full well that whatever the woman will do, she won't like it.

So Alice did the only thing she can, she nods her acceptance. This satisfied the woman, for she just ruffles her hair a bit in an affectionate way a more rowdy, older sister would as oppose to Penelope who'll envelope her in a motherly hug.

And then Alice dreams of how the woman disappears in a portal of darkness, and leaving her all alone, on a stain glass of Naruto holding an orb of light with nine circles surrounding him. Alone, yet secured in the knowledge that she is safe for her brother in shining armor will charge to the rescue, her wild sister in red beside him.

Hmm, odd, isn't little girl suppose to dream of prince in shining armor?

"Well, I suppose that's why people call them dreams. Strange things happen. Oh look, one of the circles is me!" The girl giggles before she uses a knowledge she knows she doesn't have, and stomp her foot on the floor. Behind her, a door of light sprang up from the floor, and opening it, Alice walks into the world of the conscious.

Oddly enough, she knows that this dream just taught her something rather special about herself… She thinks things are odd too much.

XXXXXXXXXX

By and by, a month past by, and life is peaceful once more.

Well… as peaceful as it can be when the new gardener joined the house. It surprises a lot of people just how much pranks the six foot and a half man can pull off, what surprise them even more is just how SNEAKY he can be too. Seriously, he is, in Alice's ever innocent and naïve wording, HUGE! They still shudder at some of the more vicious ones he pull off to scare off unwanted guests of snobbish nobles and suitors that Penelope doesn't want. They wonder if Count Boardwing will ever look at a flour sack the same ever again…

All the maids seem to develop a crush on him, even if he looks like the late master in a way that it is frightening. The butlers and other male servants get alone with the young man easily, especially when he seems rather open and talkative.

Though it's a pity he has amnesia. They wonder if he's some lost son of a rich man or noble. He is refined enough to be, handsome enough and certainly looks like one.

Secretly, Alice is laughing herself silly most of the time whenever she accidentally eavesdropped on the rumors of Naruto's origin.

The true reason behind the rumor is Alice herself, because since she is the only one that knows the falseness of the amnesia, she thus puts it upon herself to impart as much knowledge on the culture of the upper classman and nobles so he can easily play off the amnesia while still showing signs of who he MIGHT be.

Still, everyone notice the unease and tension the young man has. It's unexplainable how he always seem to tense at the smallest sound. Or how he never seems tired even after trimming the entire back yard, and that's a lot of land to do so! He never complains about doing too much, rather, he asks for more! Even Penelope, the task-master that she is, is at a lost on what to do with him.

Only Alice seems to be able to put up with him.

In fact, the little girl seems rather clingy to him. You can almost always find them together at the same area, with one within a few meters of the other. Sometimes you'll find her clinging to his arm when he's not working, and how he can take it no one knows. When asked, he just says he doesn't find it annoying. Also, she keeps calling him "Brother" or "Brother Naruto" rather affectionately, and usually with a glomp with enough force that other are sure would flatten any other ordinary person.

So that is to say…

"Seriously, are you even normal?" Alice decides to pop the question at this particular day, just as Naruto is bent over a rose bush and pulling out any weed he see. He learns quickly which is which after a terrifying episode with Penelope when he accidentally pulls a rose bud up.

"Do define normal Alice. After all, everyone has different definition of normal." Naruto say cheekily as he pulls out another weed effortlessly. Straightening up, the young man wipe away some sweat from his brow and turn to his audience. "And don't you have something better to do besides sitting there?"

Alice, who is currently sitting near a pile of weed playing with them happily, shakes her head at the second question before deciding to answer the first. "Well, my definition of normal is… well, you know, ordinary people."

Laughing amusingly, Naruto walks over to the pile of weed and dispose of the small bundle in his arms. With that done, he too plots himself onto the ground in front of the blonde girl and puts on a mock-thinking position. After a minute of silence, the blonde man snaps his finger with a grin before he jumps onto his feet. "Well, I know just what you won't consider normal! Now if milady will follow me."

Alice giggles at her surrogate brother's antic before she accepts the offered hand. She continues to be amazed by the strength of her 'brother' when he pulls her up with no effort. Soon Naruto starts walking, still holding Alice's hands in his excitement, swallowing up grounds in large strides. Alice, shorter and frailer, has to jug a bit to simply keep up with him, but she doesn't mind. She finds it fun.

Soon the duo finds them in the wood near the back yard. Finding a suitable clearing, Naruto easily drags Alice over to it. Searching around, he grins in satisfaction before he asks Alice to wait a few feet away before he charges straight for a tree!

"OH NARUTO! WHAT ARE YOU… doing…" Alice trails off as instead of simply running smack right into the tree as he expects him to, she watches with wide and amazed eyes as Naruto runs UP the tree, and eventually SIDEWAY on a branch, UPSIDE DOWN! "…Oh my…"

Stopping in his run, Naruto grins as he stare down at the girl in his upside down position and crosses his arms in triumph. "So, what do you think?" Judging by the very good imitation of a gold fish, he takes it as being very impressed. "So, do you think I'm normal?"

"…Is that how you can take me hugging you in a full run?"

Of all the… "First off, that's call a glomp; its effectiveness increase with speed and mass. Try again ina few more years and you might take me down. Secondly, you can say I'm not from this world…" Naruto explains as he lets himself drop from the tree, perform some rather impressive acrobat maneuvering before landing on the ground with hardly any sound despite the work boots he is in. "So, ready to head in?"

Still rather speechless, Alice can only nod as she takes Naruto's offered arm and silently lets herself be escorted back towards the mansion. Now she has proof for all that crazy adventures she went on about two years ago. She knows now that she really isn't dreaming, and she's giddy about it.

However, in that little performance, Alice notices something about Naruto: he is very restless. Usually he is so careful even around her… He watches what he says, control his every action, carefully measure his every ounce of strength so as not to reveal too much, but just enough to show he is not to be mess with. But today…

Today he simply flaunts that ability figuratively in her face.

And the thought of Naruto being restless scares her, because she knows sooner or later, his restlessness is going to cause him to disappear from her side unless she does something about it!

XXXXX Yen Sid's tower XXXXX

"Hmm… the child is quite interesting." Yen Sid, one of the greatest sorcerer and mind in the universe, says as he stares out from his window into the strange dimension his castle is in. Stroking his beard, the old wizard smiles to himself as his intense eyes twinkle with amusement at the future to come. "Won't be long now…"

Turning to the side of the room, Yen Sid examines two objects that he plans to give out to the Jailor when he visits. One is a key chain that's of a block, as if it's empty, not finished yet. The other is a small tank the size of two basketballs stacked together, inside it a mass of something bubbles with occasional flash of light, and on top of the tank's lid is the symbol of the Nobody to complete it all. Chuckling to himself, the old master wonder why the Power that Is wants him to make this two particular items, but he knows that they will bring rather interesting results in the future.

"Well, now it's just a matter of time before Alice delivers him to me."

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

One: Don't get use to the update speed. Need to get the bunny out of my head for a while, so I'm puking up updates for probably the next week or two.

Two: Remember that there will be holes in the story? Don't worry about that. So far, it's going to start slowly, so no need to worry about those holes if you are.

Three: Alice's ability to 'command' Naruto around WILL be explains. And for those that's kinda rooting for the bizarre paring of NarutoAlice, not gonna happen. They're staying brother-sister, and maybe a few brother/sister complex stuff here and there if I want to. But other wise, they will not be romantically involved.

Four: Some of you might wonder how they'll leave the place and travel the worlds. Don't worry, I already give you some hints. And no, it's not almighty, there is a limit to it, so you will get to see Gummi Ship.

Hmm… that's it…

Well, leave some kind of comment for me yeah?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: ROAR!!!!!! DON'T OWN!!! ROAR!!!

XXXXXXXXXX

For the occupants of Destiny Island, life as they know it is good. Beautiful scenario, wonderful weather, peaceful neighborhoods, playful and innocent children, and no war, no fighting, and no crisis; that is how life is on Destiny Island.

But for the three particular children –teenagers to be more exact- Destiny Island is rather… boring.

For one, he saved the world twice. Battled seemly endless enemies, fought the Gods be it with them or against them, and see evil in pretty much its purest form.

For another, he had traveled the darkness, seen human nature at its cruelest and done things he rather not mentions nor does he want to repeat.

For the last, she was kidnapped off world, basically roams the universe in search of a boy, and is one of the seven that perhaps held the fate of the universe in their very hand.

So would it be any wonder that they find their life a little too calm right now?

Currently, the boys are sitting down at their favorite spot, the tree that's bent at a rather amusing angle, acting more as a bench than a tree. They stare at the sunset, each to their own thoughts about their future and their destiny. After all, it's being about a year now since the end of Organization XIII, and so far, there are no calls of distress, no world-ending crisis, and no power-hungry maniac running around.

So that's why here they are, sitting on the tree or leaning against it, looking into the horizon as the sun slowly sets, casting a fiery glow into the sky. The sea breeze gently brushes against them, carrying the smell of sea salt and sea weed. A comfortable silence blanket the two young men, letting nothing disturb them.

For today it is the start of summer vacation, and they want to savor the chaos of school for a little longer before the hectic summer days rush them over.

"Ne, Riku…" Sora, the younger of the two, asks as he shifts his head over to his friend, brown hair gently swaying while blue eyes shining in curiosity. "Nothing changed huh?"

Riku, the older of the two with nearly shoulder length silver hair and hypnotic aqua eyes blinks before he looks back to his friend. With a small chuckle, Riku turns back to the horizon with a smile. "Nope, nothing changed… And nothing will…"

"…Nothing well…" Sora repeats softly as he too return his gaze to the horizon. He wonders not for the first time if that is actually what will happen: nothing. "…Hey, what do you think the door of light is?"

Humming, Riku jumps down from his perch on the tree and gently taps Sora on where his heart is with a grin. Blinking, the younger boy looks to where his heart is, confused yet at the same time couldn't help be feels that it explains everything.

"SORA!! RIKU!!" A familiar shout alerts the two boys the approaching person. Turning at once, they see a familiar flair of red hair, twinkling blue eyes, and soft face. Kairi runs toward them as fast as she is able to without causing harm to herself all the while waving at the two of them, huffing and puffing, never missing a step. "SORA! RIKU!!"

"Kairi? What's wrong?" Riku asks as he observes the girl bounce her way over to them, and abruptly stops in front of them. "Err… take your time…"

"U-urgent… huff, huff… i-it's…" The girl says between pants as she bends at her knees, gulping down as much air as she is able to in near desperation. "IT'S A LETTER!"

Not sure exactly how to react, Sora looks down at the bottle in Kairi's outstretched hand, which contains a neatly rolled up letter with the symbol of the King on it… Wait, THE KING!! "WAH! IT'S FROM THE KING!!"

"EH? WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?" Riku shouts as he snatches the bottle out of Kairi's hand to try and uncork the bottle. Getting impatient, Sora snatches it out of Riku's hand and with one mighty groan pulls out the cork. Tossing it over his shoulder hazardously (do not litter kids…), Sora dumps out he letter and quickly unroll it.

Riku and Kairi takes one shoulder of Sora each and peer over it, as three sets of eyes scan the content of the letter in rapid succession. Their hungry and curious eyes devoured the letter in seconds, and once it's finished, a silence settles over the three…

"EH?!?! WHAT DOES HE MEAN ALICE IS MISSING?!?!"

XXXXX Weeks before the letter XXXXX

_**Countdown 7 weeks…**_

Penelope, despite what people might think of her, is not ignorant of what goes on around her. After all, if she is, how do you think she can keep the house as neat as it can be?

Thus when Alice starts to disappear randomly and usually for a time period of one or two hours, she starts to suspect things are happening. After all, ever since that young man moved in, the last month and a week has being rather lively.

And knowing how Alice is a naturally curious and lively girl, Penelope wonders if she developed something a little more than brotherly affection for Naruto.

Back on topic, she quickly crosses out the fact that Naruto has anything to do with Alice's disappearance. After all, she always manages to find him when ever she disappears to. And she finds him no matter what random time she checks up on him. So if Alice isn't with her favorite guy, then where is she?

XXXXXXXXXX

Huff and puff, take a LARGE gulp of air, repeat.

"M-my, never know it takes so much…" Alice says to herself as she wipes some sweat from her face, only for them to be replaced by more sweat. She really never know that it takes this much. "W-well, better practice then."

"Huff and puff, take a large gulp of air, concentrate…

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Countdown 6 weeks…**_

"Hmm? She disappears again?" Naruto asks as he gently clips off a branch so as to make the entire scene more pleasant. "Where would she go? ….And why do you keep suspecting me?"

"Err…" Well, at least Penelope has the decency to blush.

"A-ah?! Brother? Sister? What are you doing here?' The chirpy voice they were all searching for asks from the side. Blinking, the two elders turn to regard a…

"Alice? Why are you so sweaty?" Penelope says with a gasps as she quickly hurry over to the girl that is practically drenched in her own sweat. "Actually, where were you?"

"Hmm…" Naruto hums as he examines Alice with a critical eye. The girl is oblivious to it as she continues to fend off her sister's prying questions and fussing. He can instantly tell that she is doing physical activities the likes of which girls such as her weren't accustom too. The fact that she is wearing looser than usual outfits shows that whatever she is doing requires a lot of physical activities.

The question is thought, just where was she going? And WHAT was she doing?

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Countdown 5 weeks…**_

Using skills honed with years of training and experience, Naruto hides himself in the shadow as he trails Alice around the mansion. Dodging, jumping, rolling, so he can phase from one shadow to the next, completely undetected.

…Completely undetected by Alice, but the maids and servants keep sending him weird looks…

Err… note to self; never do this again in the future…

Just then, Alice ducks into a room and close the doors behind her gently. Thinking that he had her, Naruto quickly press himself against the door and try and listen for anything.

10 seconds…

20 seconds…

40 seconds…

1 minute…

…Nothing?

"Eh? Alice?" Knocks three times, and wait… "Alice? I'm coming in!"

…Still nothing…

"ALICE?!" With a forceful push, the door bangs open and Naruto dashes in, arms raised and eyes searching for any signs of struggles or fighting…

…Nothing…?

"Oh brother? What are you doing?" The suddenly voice that snaps the tension like a whip startles Naruto so much he jumps three feet into the air (though to him that's not impressive). "Oh my…"

"A-ALICE?! Where did you… how did you… What… you were just…?!"

"Hmm? Is something wrong brother?"

The moment she pulls out that innocent smile with sparkling blue eyes, Naruto knows that he lost…

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Countdown 4 weeks…**_

"How are you keep making me do stuff?!" Naruto shouts as he dice up some tomatoes while Alice peel some apples. He was peacefully enjoying his day off when Alice asks if he would help her learn how to cook. When he refused politely, she simply stares at him… And he finds himself dragging her to the kitchen with a bounce in his steps. "Seriously, how are you doing that?"

"I still don't know honestly." Replies Alice as she carefully puts the sliced apples onto a plate and examine them. "Hmm… I do have some talents with knife if I do say so myself."

"No, you don't. I knew someone who does." Naruto say as he watches the speed at which Alice adepts to kitchen knifes. It's a little scary. It's almost as if she'll pick one up anytime and toss it with pin-point accuracy at someone. "Anyway, why do you suddenly feel the need to learn how to cook? Or at least prepare light meals?"

Alice thinks for a way to explain this while she stacks a sandwich with hams, cheese, and cabbages. With a fluid motion that should take people years to learn, Alice quickly spread mayo and mustard onto the bread in one smooth motion or each sauce and slaps the bun onto the fillings. "Hmm, don't know. I suppose you can call this a thing of the moment?"

Sighing, Naruto can only take it at face value. After all, what can she be planning? Running off with him when he decides to leave?

He never notices that he used the word 'when' instead of 'if.'

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Countdown 3 weeks…**_

For most of this week, Alice nearly locks herself into the kitchen to learn from the cook on how, why, and what to do to make a meal good. Surprisingly, she has an aptitude for it. She learns so quickly about certain things that the cook wonders if he should just make her his apprentice.

First it's the bread she helps bake, which is to say very soft and tasty. Some of the servants even dare to say that it's better than the cook's.

Then there is the lunch special, where she somehow learns to do several dishes at once, and making them to such a degree that it's almost professional. How she does it, they don't know. But since Naruto was missing before lunch and seems rather exhausted during it, they have an idea how. Or if not, at least a pretty good guess.

Then during the afternoon, she made puddings; chocolate puddings. They disappear so fast Penelope wonders if the maids and servants developed a sweet tooth or Alice's pudding is just that good. Either way, the lemonade she mixed seems to be rather popular too.

What else did she do? Oh yes, the soups; can't forget the soups. The cook witnessed it himself, and he puts it as "the chaos in which give birth of life…"

…Whatever does that mean? Well, doesn't matter. Although everyone wonders why the one at lunch tasted like cheesecake. Though there is ONE thing that everyone finds strange.

Alice asks the cook how to differentiate rotten food from fresh ones…

Seriously, what is she planning? Jumping into a rabbit hole and live there for eternity?

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Countdown 2 weeks…**_

Today Alice continues her adventure in the realm of food: the kitchen. Although today instead of spending the entire day inside, she only spend the morning learning simple stuff such as how to cook eggs, how to fry them, how to cook bacons, how to make toasts of perfect crunchiness without the burn, and all the little stuffs people generally thought about when making breakfast.

The afternoon though, Alice spends her time dogging her sister, so where Penelope goes, Alice follows. The older sister actually fines it strange, as Alice usually would try and get away from her, especially when it's time for her daily lessons. Today though, she's taking every requests and orders quietly, with a cute little smile on her face.

Penelope isn't complaining about the obedience. She is more worried about what this implies than anything else.

"Alice, honey?" Penelope finally decides to pop the question; if not for prying a reason out of the girl, then at least to get a closure behind her worry. "Are you feeling alright today?"

The innocent reply that she expected is exactly this, "Why sister? I'm feeling fine."

"Well… it's just that you're unusually…" Penelope suddenly finds herself at a lost of word. What can she describe her sister as? She's rebellious at time, yes, a little too rowdy here and there. Out spoken is one of her trait that people actually find attractive, so that's not really it. Her innocent personality and her manner are no trouble, and couple with her outgoing attitude, there really is no fault there. So what would you describe her usual behavior? "Um, is there anything you like to tell me?" Deciding that perhaps that is the best thing to say, Penelope watches as Alice tilts her head in a confused manner and sighs. Perhaps it really is nothing?

Thus it is why she is so startled by Alice suddenly latching onto her waist and pulls her into a hug with considerable strength. It's almost as if she won't see her again. "…I love you…" The muffled words drift into Penelope's ears as the elder sister blinks at the younger, who had buried her face into her shoulder, a little guilty and solemn.

She has grown taller…

Smiling softly even though she never figures out what is wrong with Alice; Penelope pats the younger girl's head in comfort. "Now, now. What is this guilt I hear in your voice? You didn't break anything did you?" The slight shake of her head tells her that no, Alice had not caused any trouble…

And no, she is not going to elaborate.

"Just wants to tell you I love you, 'tis all…" The younger girl says as she looks up into her sister's eyes.

Strange… there is this foreboding feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. One that Penelope doesn't like at all.

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Countdown 1 week…**_

"Is that so?" Alice asks as she nimbly dodges a thrust from her fencing teacher. Why she even needs to know the knowledge of fencing, she doesn't know. But considering some of her more bizarre experience, knowing how to defend yourself with even a stick is appreciated.

"Yes, it is so." Penelope says before taking a sip of her tea, imported from France by the way. "I believe you should keep a leash on yourself."

"Oh but sister, why would I need a leash?" Alice teases, then she quickly parries a strike that is a little too close to her head for comfort. "Oh, bother. I need to concentrate sister."

"No you don't." Naruto says as he continues to study the way of fencing, as it is simply a different way to use a sword. Being that he never learns how to use one, Naruto likes to see some of the foundation behind sword-fighting. However, it just seems too… discipline. "You won't have time to actually get into a stance during an actual duel or battle."

Penelope raises an eye brow at that as she gently sets her tea cup down. It seems the man knows something about combat. "Well then, would you like to demonstrate Mr. Naruto?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, do demonstrate brother. I am always curious if you can fight." Alice says as she suddenly appears by his side and latches onto his arm. How she does that he doesn't know. Actually, how do people do that in general? He seemed plenty of women done that back in Konoha. "Please? For me?"

…Damn…

Without the heart to refuse, Naruto sighs as he walks up into the dueling area. Looking around, he simply pick up a fencing sword that is lying around on a weapon rack and gives it a few practice swing, so he may get the feeling of its weight. After he finishes getting use to the sword, Naruto simply settles into a seemly relaxed stance, with his feet slightly apart, body turned side way, and the sword held lightly pointing down at the ground.

The instructor, a middle age man in his late 30s, raises an eye brow at the young man before him, and decides to asks, "You're not going to put on armors, Mr. Naruto?"

"No worry, you won't be able to touch me…"

"Oh-ho, arrogant are we?" The instructor says as he settles into a regular fencing stance with a grin. "Well, prepare yourself. On guard!"

With a battle cry, the instructor launches himself into a thrust, which Naruto easily knocks aside before he went in for a horizontal slash. The instructor quickly slides back, and when the swipe passes, he quickly steps into the sword's range and deliver another thrust at Naruto.

Seeing this, Naruto quickly jumps to the side before he drops down onto the ground and tries to take out his opponent's legs with the sword, only for the instructor to jump over it. He is not finished though, for in the instance that the instructor's legs left the ground, Naruto switches into a round house kick that heads straight for the man's head.

The older man blocks the kick with his forearm, groaning at the stinging sensation due to the force behind the kick before he uses the momentum from it to roll away. When he comes back up, he is so surprised to see Naruto right in front of him that it takes him a few seconds to feel the sword resting snuggly against his neck. His can only think about how fast the man must have moved…

"Oh my, brother does have some skills…" Alice says, her blue eyes wide as she takes in the massive (to her) form of her brother retreating back a few steps. The instructor's chuckle brought her attention to him, and seeing the man take off his safety helmet, Alice wonders what he is planning now…

Oh no… he is not going to…

"Alice, why don't you spar with your brother a bit? You might learn quite a bit."

…Bloody old man with a sick sense of humor…

"Umm… Go easy on me, okay brother?" Alice half begged, half asked as she hesitantly steps in front of her new opponent. Naruto just chuckles as he settles into a loose stance and smirks. "…Oh why do I hate that smirk?"

"Don't worry, princess. I'll only defend." The young man says, causing the girl to puff up in indignation. Alice, in a fit of righteous fury, launches into a furry of swipes, thrusts, and slashes. True to his words, Naruto only defends against the girl's ferocious attacks, all the while still laughing, which only seems to cause Alice to become that much angrier. But she simply can't seem to get past his defense!

Meanwhile, off to the sideline, Penelope frowns at the unexpected speed and grace at which Naruto moves in, and in a dress suit no less. His sword arm flows like water as they block and parry Alice's attacks, but judging by the distance of the blocks, he is used to short knives instead of long swords… Just who is he…?

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Countdown 1 day…**_

Today, Naruto feels deep down that the time has come. Standing here, in front of a large window staring into the sky, seeing the occasional birds flying over, Naruto knows for a fact that it is time.

Today is the day that he would finally have to leave, least he become insane with all the… the… calmness.

He has to go. He has to leave and experience chaos once more. He is almost chaos incarnate, what's with his life and his everyday surrounding. If one is to actually examine his life closely, they will see that there is hardly any calm moment in his life. It is always either missions, trainings, goofing off with friends that are crazy themselves in someway, and annoying one Jounin or another for maybe even just a bit of pointer or training.

Thus when compare that to the peace and quiet in the mansion; can you blame the blonde for feeling cooped up? Pranks don't give him as much amusement as back in Konoha, seeing that no one will give him an actual chase. Bickering with someone is pointless, because other than Penelope, no one is willing to argue with him, and Penelope is too scary to argue with. Can't train anywhere near the mansion least he wants them to discover that he is… not ordinary would be the best way to puts it. He has long figured out that this is not his world, since nothing ever indicates or record about Elemental Countries. The technology here is also more primitive than in Konoha. Seriously, he at least has a refrigerator despite the fact he lacks money; they never even heard of the thing. They use ancient preservation techniques: smoking and salting! The only thing that seems to keep him entertained is Alice, and she has her limit too.

Can't spend too much time playing with a little girl; people might get the wrong ideas even if said girl sees him as a big brother… Hmm, all those indirect incest in Konoha must be rubbing off on him, seriously, cousin marrying cousin… Not that it's any of his business… He'll be back on topic now…

As he was saying, it's about time that he leaves…

"You're going?"

"BLAH?!" Naruto screams as he jumps five feet this time, much to the voice's owner's wonder, and quickly turn around to look at the culprit. "A-Alice?!"

"You're going right?" The question itself seems innocent, but Naruto knows better. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and he can tell that Alice really, REALLY doesn't want him to leave. "So… when are you leaving?"

"…I'm thinking today…" Naruto answers truthfully as he looks at anywhere but Alice. The girl's face is so blank that it unnerves him. She was usually so happy and cheerful. "I can't take the calm… I am naturally a very energetic person…"

Saying nothing, the girl simply walks forward to stand next to Naruto as she looks out into the sky. Her tiny hands are folded neatly in front of her, her lips form a straight line, lacking their usual bright and happy smile. Her blue eyes seem a little duller, and lack the stubbornness she usually possesses. All in all, this Alice unnerves him to the degree that he finds himself doubting his decision to leave.

An uncomfortable silence falls over the two as both stares out into the window, each to their own thoughts.

Alice decides that enough is enough, and becomes the one to break the silence. Turning to looks at the much taller man, Alice opens her month and says, "Can you wait one more day?"

"One more day?" The blonde man says as he tilts his head to mole over the question. One more day couldn't hurt can it? After all, what can happen in the span of one single day? "…Sure. One more day… And I will leave at night tomorrow, okay?"

Smiling, Alice nods lightly before she turns on her toe and walks down the hall, towards her room.

For some reason, Naruto feels that he just made one of those choices that will change his life forever.

Off on the other side of the mansion, Penelope suddenly feels a chill ran down her spine. Something is going to happen real soon.

XXXXXXXXXX

_**D-Day… Damn-it-all-to-hell Day…**_

Just as he said, Naruto stay the entire day today. He did all the chores assigned to him without complain. He listened to Penelope's lecture about proper behavior without trying to escape like he usually did. He didn't pull off any pranks or plot anything because he didn't intentionally let out evil chuckles to warn people about his intentions.

In short, he is being very good today.

That didn't ward off Alice's stare though. It's almost as if she is following him everywhere, try to observe him, get every little tiny details about him, and most of all, she's been asking a lot of strange questions about traveling.

But that's probably all going to be a part of the past in just a short few minutes. In just a few minutes, he will be going outside, traveling anywhere as he sees fit, doing whatever he likes. In just a few minutes, he will once again plunge himself into the chaos that hung over his life for the past 17 years.

Sighing, Naruto quickly change himself into a pair of loose pants and a large shirt. He folds the cloth he usually wears, a pair of dress pants and white shirt neatly onto the bed of the room he stayed at. He suddenly remembers the pocket watch he usually wears because of Alice's insistence. Walking towards the bedside table, he lance at the watch he haphazardly discarded there when he change. Thinking that he should at least show proper respect, Naruto carefully holds it up and held it in his palms for a few seconds before gingerly placing it on top of the neatly folded cloth.

Pausing for a few moments, Naruto picks up the strange chain with a contemplative look. He received it in a dream, and it appears in reality, so perhaps it's best to take it with him, whatever the reason it was given to him in the first place, it's probably one of those strange thing that just is. So with another sigh, Naruto shoves the chain into his pocket before he puts on his work boots, which are oddly very comfortable to wear, and marches toward the exit of the house.

With one last look into the room, Naruto smiles sadly as he closes the door, signaling the closing of a chapter in his life and the beginning of a new one. With that done, he grins as he heads for the exit, never intending to say goodbye (even though he knows Alice will be mad at him for that) and decides to leave unannounced.

He hates to say goodbye anyway. So it's best that he doesn't, because if he did, they have a chance to convince him to stay.

So with a silent laugh, Uzumaki Naruto walks out the mansion that housed him for about three months, and that would be the last time they'll see him for a long while, if ever again.

If he had glances back one more time, he would see a light glowing out of the window of his room before disappearing.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Now, where should I go? Spain? Italy? France? …Or maybe just walk to this place called China and go from there?" Naruto questions himself as he shoves his hands into the pant's pocket while contemplating his next location. He is not worried about food or shelter. Being a shinobi, he knows how to look for those, or if needed, build a shelter or steal some food.

Hey, it's how they were taught! They were trained to kill, so stealing isn't below them!

Anyway, for Naruto, life is going to be back to how it should have been: messy. He can't help it; he is naturally a very energetic and active person. He will settle down one day. Everyone does at some points in their life. But right now, it's not his time, so he will continues to flaunt himself into chaos headlong.

Death doesn't scare him, for he faced it practically everyday. Starvation doesn't bother him, for he was used to it. Loneliness might be annoying, but he intent to keep human contacts here and there. So really, what is there to fear? It's not like he'll be dragged around by a little girl bend on traveling the world.

"Hello brother!"

"MEH-YA?!" This time he jumps eight feet into the air, and if the gasps from the voice owner is any indication, it is impressive. As for Naruto, turning around as fast as his spine and feet allows him to, his eyes nearly pops out of their places by what he finds standing before him. "ALICE?!?!!"

There, standing before him, under a heavy traveling cloak and a large suitcase by her side, Alice waves happily at him with her cute and innocent smile, as if the fact of her standing there isn't anything to worry about. This fact is the only thing that keeps refusing to register in Naruto's mind; she IS here, standing before him, WAVING at him, with a SUITCASE and TRAVELING CLOAK…

"Oh god… I'm a dead man…" The shinobi says to himself as he suddenly gets the image of half the people in the country looking for him with the police hot on his tail. His charge: kidnapping a little girl. "Alice, what are you doing here? How do you get here? And do you know what you have done?!"

Blinking, the little girl just smiles sweetly as she holds up a hand and starts counting off fingers. "Well, I'm going with you! And how I got here, you'll know in a bit. As for what I'd done, I probably made you a potential child kidnapper that kidnapped the younger daughter of a very prominent family and most likely you'll have half the country breathing down your neck about it."

…Well, she knows… "THAT IS NOT THE POINT!! What do you mean you're coming with me?!"

"Silly brother, of course I'm going with you!" Cue innocent and cute, bright smile. "After all, I know you are restless, and so am I. However, this world won't be enough for us, so I'm going to take us to another place!"

Well, that's thoughtful of her… Wait, back up, rewind. "This world?" Naruto asks with a confused look on his face. "So you mean you can… travel worlds?"

It is at this point that Alice smiles sheepishly as she folds her hands behind her while her right foot draws circles in the ground with her blues eyes staring downward, a small blush marks her face as she explains. "W-well, I can take you to another one now, but it takes a lot of energy and I need to practice. A-and so far, I'm limited to about a world jump per three or four days… B-but I'll work harder! I'll bring us to all sorts of different worlds! I promise!"

Never mind that, she is not getting it. "Alice, it's not that I don't want you to travel with me. It's I can't!" Naruto explains as he waves his arms to emphasize on his point. "What I'm going to do will involve dangers of certain kinds! I don't want you hurt!"

"But I won't get hurt. I have brother with me." Alice's smile continues to be present as she tilts her head to the side. "Besides, brother won't let me be hurt. Would you?"

"No, but… You're not getting it!"

"Oh but brother Naruto, I do understand." Alice says as she gently stomps the ground, and a door of light appears right behind Naruto, causing him to lose his balance. "I understand perfectly what I am doing. Besides… You. Don't. Have. A. Choice!" With each word, Alice gently taps Naruto's chest, and with each tap, he is pushed further into the door. Once he is pressed completely up to the door, Alice grins mischievously and turns the door knob on the door and with a mighty swing pushes it open. Naruto, who's leaning on it falls backward with a thud and blinks in surprise at the scene that greets him.

It's the corridor that's way too white for his taste… Huh? Corridor… door way… crap! "Wait…"

"Too late." **Bam! Click…**

"…Damn it all too hell…"

"My thought exactly. Although I wish you refrain from swearing so much in front of me… Penelope gets rather curious about where I get all those new… vocabulary."

"…Oh fuck me…"

"Brother! What did I just say?!"

XXXXX Radiant Garden XXXXX

_**Three days after Naruto and Alice's departure…**_

Yuffie is currently, for a lack of better description or words, bored out of her fucking mind. The Heartless are so rare in these days that they barely give a decent workout. Those Nobody thingies all seems to disappeared ever since Sora fought with those Organization XIII guys. The crime rate of the place is so small that local authorities handle it rather quickly, thus never did they request for any help from the Reconstruction Committee.

In short, LIFE IS FUCKING BORING!!!

"ROAR!!! GIVE ME SOMETHING TO DO!!" The self-proclaimed super ninja shouts as she throws her arms up into the air and whines. She hopes that whoever hears it will give her something to do. Too bad the person that heard it is the last person she wants it to be heard.

"Yuffie, go clean your room." Leon says as he marches up to the whining girl and huffs as he witness the not-so-destructive power of Yuffie's pout. Can it get any worst? Oh wait, yes it can, the oh-so-not-working puppy dog eyes… "Yuffie, you wanted something to do, so I'm giving you something to do."

"I want ACTION! Not cleaning my room!"

"You ARE going to clean your room…"

"Aerith!! I DON'T WANT TO CLEAN MY ROOM!!" Yuffie shouts as she scrambles over to the woman that she hopes will take her side. After all, Aerith is the most empathetic person there is.

"Oh but Yuffie, your room is messy." Imagine her disappointment when Aerith answers with this…

"…T-traitor…"

"Now, now Yuffie, be a good girl and go clean your room." Aerith says with a motherly tone as she gently tap Yuffie's nose with a finger. Smiling, the woman straightens up from her bending position and calmly walks out the room through the other door to once more get back on her errand. As for Yuffie…

"…You heard her…"

"Whipped…"

"What was that?" Insert death glare that seems to fire death ray.

"EEK!"

**FUM! Click…** "Oh my? I think we arrived… Although the destination is not what I had in mind… And it certainly looks nicer…" The voice of a younger girl says as Leon and Yuffie gape in amazement at the door that simply materializes out of nowhere and opens. From it walks a blonde hair girl that is about Yuffie's height, in a heavy traveling cloak and a large suitcase held in her hand. The girl observes her surrounding with curious blue eyes that sparkle in delight as she steps to the side of the door to let the other person out, who puts Leon and Yuffie's mouth on the ground… Or would have it they're not attached to their skull.

Out of it walks a young man who is rather tall, six feet and a half is you want to be rough. He has blonde hair that matches the girl's if not a little lighter. His blue eyes are a cerulean blue as they move from left to right with wonder. He is currently wearing a white shirt, black pants completed with steel-toed boots and two pouches strapped to his hips, fingerless gloves with steel plates sew on the back, and a hybrid of trench coat and cloak (the one he is currently wearing in canon). Three whisker-like marks slant across each of his cheek, giving him an exotic air, and coupling with his cloth, he appears to be a noble.

But what really surprises them though is not how he appears, who he appears to be, or his rather charming appearance (Yuffie has a little trouble looking away). No, it is what he held in his right hand.

"…A keyblade…" Leon murmurs softly, but apparently not soft enough, for the young man of 17 (he thinks) heard him and turns to regard him with curiosity.

"Oh? You know what this thing is?" The blonde man (Leon can't think of him as a teen for some reason) asks as he held up the Keyblade that's almost as tall as Yuffie, who is standing next to him. The five feet monstrosity looks rather simple, almost like a giant version of Sora's Kingdom Key, with several major differences.

First, it's five foot long, from blade tip to where the key chain is attached, not counting the key chain itself. It's a lot longer than Sora's three and a half foot blade.

Second, the key chain is in the shape of an old fashion key instead of the symbol of the King. It's almost as if that blade is specifically made for keeping thinks locked up or to open doors.

Third, the key part looks different from Sora's key. Instead of four 'spikes' coming out, it only has three, with the middle one wider but shorter than the other two and two circular 'holes' between each spikes.

Lastly, judging from the way the man carries it, he has little to no experience with using something as long as this… He needs to find Cloud for him… That reminds him, need to curse the chocobo head to the seven depth of hell for giving him the trouble of having to find him…

But one thought ring through his head as clear as day the moment he see that Keyblade, because usually when Keyblades appear, troubles follow…

…Oh shit… It seems the universe is going to get screwed a third time over…

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

Well, it seems I'd already introduced a gap in details… no problem, it will be explained on the next chapter about 1) why the Keyblade appears in Naruto's hand, 2) why is he in a suit, and 3) what happens back in the mansion. Oh, and for that brief scene with Sora, Riku, and Kairi, that'll be the first time you'll see them, and the last in a few chapters. Right now, I want to focus on Naruto, so don't shout at me about neglecting other characters.

Secondly, people are all wondering about pairing. You may not have reviewed, but I KNOW about half of you is wondering what I'm going to do about Naru-chan's love life. Answer is, I'm not going to answer you muhahahahaha!!! It's a surprise. Though I can say it's most likely going to be a harem or three at max.

Finally, at times Naruto will seem to be pretty overpowering. But you must remember, in Kingdom Hearts Universe, we have a teenage boy that took on the God of the Underworld, so is there really such thing as overpowering? Answer is nope.

Oh, and I'm looking for a beta currently to help me catch some of my common mistakes-that-i-can't-find… Need to go beta hunting next week or maybe a month later. Too lazy to do that now.

Enjoy…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: …Do I have to keep repeating myself?

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Day of the disappearance…**_

"This wasn't here before…" Alice says as she exam a particular door with the image of a tall, pointing blue hat with stars on them. Below that image is two handles, signaling that it is a double door and underneath the right handle is a key hole. Alice, being both curious and in no hurry at all, has being trying to open the door for the last five minutes. She wonders if she should, after all, she got into certain troubles in Wonderland simply because she is curious.

"So… when should I try and pick the lock?" Naruto asks after he watches Alice knocked on the door for the… how many times was it? Currently he is standing a few feet away, somehow being forced into the suit that he usually wear by Alice, saying something about first impression and all that… Does he look like he care about what people think about him?

…Okay, he'll admit, yes he does. But why must he wear this?

"But brother, it's impolite to break into a door." Alice says with certainty as she tilts her head at the door. She is very tempted to let Naruto have his way with it though. "Besides, you never know what is on the other side…"

That got him to shut up, not because he actually cares, but rather because of a rather nasty run in with Sakura when he accidentally walks in on her changing. He can still feel the phantom pain. "…I still say I pick the lock. You are opening the door of course."

"…Oh fine. Be my guest." Alice huff in indignation as she stomps off to the side and pouts with her arms crossed. Smiling in victory, Naruto walks toward the door and produce a… hair pin? "That… I had being searching for that…"

"Well, they are very useful for these sorts of things."

Blinking, Alice can only sigh at the way her 'brother' thinks. He is really too efficient at certain things. She swears that he thinks more like a soldier sometimes than the abnormal person he simply claims to be. But back to the issue at hand… "You could at least tell me instead of just stealing it."

"I found it…" Naruto says as he inserts the hair pin into the lock and starts fidgeting away. "It was on the floor next to the comfort chair in the library."

"…Oh…"

Just like that, Alice leaves Naruto back to trying to pick the lock. Key word being trying, because no matter how much he tries, he simply can't get it to open! So for the next few minutes, Alice watches in amusement at the ever growing frustration on the young man's face with each second that tick by. She gives him another 20 seconds before h-

"ROAR!!! WHAT IS WITH THIS DOOR?!?!"

Oh, it seems she is off…

"Stand back, Alice, I'm doing this the old fashion way!" Naruto says as he rolls up his shirt's sleeves and back up a few steps before bending into a crouch.

"Oh, brother, I don't think that'll –**BAM! **"OW!!"- …work…" The girl lightly taps her cheek as she watches her surrogate brother hoping on a foot and letting out mumbles that she is sure are rather colorful vocabularies. "Perhaps we should best be on our way?"

Fuming, Naruto glares at Alice, causing her to shrink back a little before he directs his gaze at the door in hatred. Stomping over, the shinobi exams the key whole once more as he rubs his chin in thoughts. Nodding to himself, he picks up the hair pin again and bend it into another shape, much to Alice's silent ire. Inserting the pin into the hole again, Naruto once more starts to try and find that one bump that is links to the locking mechanism, which when done right, can be easily changed to 'unlock' with a simple push… Where is it?!?!

"Perhaps we should look for the key…"

"The key… that's it! Now the question is just how to get it… Huh?" Naruto gasps as his right hand suddenly shuts up with its own will, much like the time in that strange dream before he wakes up in a strange land. Then in a flash of light, there is that giant key once more, all five foot of it with the little dangling chain at the end. Then the key seems to thrust forward at the door despite his will to want to hold it in front of his face to examine it, and thus alone with his right arm, Naruto watches in amazement as a beam of like shot out from the 'key' and hits the door.

**Click…** The door gently swan open…

"A Keyblade…" Alice mumbles as she stares at the weapon her surrogate brother now held in his hand before she turns her gaze at the now open door. Without her knowing, curiosity overwhelms her, and suddenly Alice finds herself peering into the door. "Oh my…" Just as she is about to step through, a hand grasps her shoulder and roughly turn her around. Blinking, Alice looks into the eyes of her confused 'brother' and tilts her head to the side. "Is something the matter brother?"

"You… you know what this thing is?" Naruto asks as he held up the giant key. Alice blinks at the question before nodding a little and decides to explain a little.

So gently resting a hand on the key, Alice slides her finger across its neck and wince a little at the shallow cuts it gives her. It is sharper than Sora's it seems. "This is what is called a Keyblade. It's a weapon that chooses its wielder and can fight against something called the Heartless. It also seems to be able to open virtually any lock there is… Or so I was told by Sora." Humming a little in thought, Alice balances herself on the ball of her heels as she sway back and forth a bit. Clasping her hands behind her –being mindful about the cut on her finger- she smiles at the shocked and confused man before her with as gentle a smile as she can. "It seems that it chose you for one reason or another. What for, I don't know, because despite me being a Princess of Hearts, I am not privileged to certain things. Actually, I only come to know that I'm a Princess of Hearts alone with six others almost two years ago…"

"What in the… Keyblade? Princess of Hearts? Heartless? …It wasn't a dream?" Naruto whispers as he loses his balance and falls down onto his behind, his eyes wide with shock and confusion that darts from the Keyblade, to Alice, and back again. "…The voice says I am the Jailor…"

"The what?"

"The Jailor, he who locks evil." A new voice, old but wise, with hints of authority says form the door, surprising Naruto and Alice with the former jumping into a defensive position, the giant key held in front of him clumsily, and the latter quickly hiding herself behind her surrogate brother. "Ah, sorry to startle you, Princess of Heart, but I couldn't help but be intrigued by this Corridor of Light." The voice's owner, a tall man with intensive black eyes and face set in a stern way says as he walks out of the door. He is wearing a long blue robe that seems to drag on the ground and the blue, tall, pointy hat that they saw on the door. The man in front of them looks frail, but both know for some reason that if they were to displease him, they would not like the consequences, Princess or not. "My, where is my manner. I am Master Yen Sid, high sorcerer. And I know who you are, so there is no need for introduction." The man, Yen Sid, says with a bow before he straighten himself and motion for the two to follow him. "Now come, I have been expecting you two. The worlds can wait for a few days, and the Corridors can wait for my probing too. We have much to discuss."

Confused and still shell shock, Naruto can only blinks at the man's retreating form. Alice, who is startled and hesitant, continues to hide behind Naruto, only peeking out a little as the man seems to pause in the door way and turn back to them with a glare. "Children, what are you waiting for. Come, we have much to do."

That snaps them into actions, and hastily, the two scramble after the man into the door that seems to be shrouded in shadow. They may not know what is happening, what is going on, or what is in store for them in the future, but one thing is clear: they are not to disobey the man.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Welcome, to my humble abode." Yen Sid says as he steps out of the door to the Corridor of Light that had appeared simply in his study. Behind him, Naruto and Alice walks into the small but comfy study of Master Yen Sid. There is a large desks with some stuffs on it, a book shelf there filled with book, and various other little stuff you normally won't find in a magician's study. But then again, he isn't a magician, he is a sorcerer, and as a sorcerer he has a curiosity for anything magical related, be it how a small healing charm work, to how the Corridor of Darkness works. And now he has something else to keep his interest, the Corridor of Light as he likes to call it. Yes, it seems his time will be occupied with not just helping save the world once more. "Now, follow me, we must discuss many things."

The two youngsters comply without a word as Master Yen Sid walks behind his desk and plot himself into a large chair. With a groan, the man gives a wave of his hand and a chair appears in front of the desk, which he motions for Alice to take. With another wave, a thick tome appears on the desk and with another wave, it spins around and float towards the young Princess. "Read the sections marked, and come to me once you have done so."

Lacking the will or drive to argue, Alice flips open the book and starts to take in the information that are marked by the master before her. Naruto has taken to read over her shoulder, almost breathing down her neck in the act of doing so. She wonder if this is what it feels like to have another person almost literally breathing down your neck, for she'd done it a lot with Naruto when she peers over his shoulder to see what he is doing. She finds it comforting in the knowledge that he is right behind her.

So far, the two has read about the boy name Sora, of how he saved the world the first time by sealing the Door to Darkness. Of how he loses his memory in a place by the will of an Organization XIII. Of how he later regain his memories in one year's time, forgetting about the episodes of how he lost his memories, and later defeat the same organization that played with him memories and saved the world a second time. They read about the ambition of Organization XIII, of how they wish to build a Kingdom Hearts completely unrelated to the one already existing so they may regain their lost heart…

"Master Yen Sid?" Alice pipes up as she read that part about regaining hearts. "What does it mean by regaining hearts?" The young girl questions, and blinks at the pleased smile that appears on the sorcerer's face.

With a wave of his hand, Yen Sid summons a very small creature on his desk. It's humanoid, with its entire body black with two antennas coming out of its head, and large yellow eyes that scan its surrounding. The creature looks up at Alice, blinks, then look to Naruto, and seems to jump in fright as it scrambles away from him. Master Yen Sid simply waves his hand and the creature levitates up in the air, with no where to run and no way of escaping. "This, my dear, I'm sure you're familiar with."

"Oh yes, they are the Heartless. They are hearts consumed by the darkness of man kind and were twisted into creatures that search out more hearts to devour." Alice says, reciting what she learns from the book and what little of her own knowledge she'd gain in her last adventure (almost two years ago). "But what does this has to do with the Organization?"

With a smile, Yen Sid opens his mouth to say something, only to blink before closing it with another smile. The master waves at one of the two doors in his study, and out of pops a woman –or what looks like a woman- with white-silver-ish skin in a sort of dancer's outfit. Naruto feels weary about this… thing that comes into the room, because she –it- is twitching every now and then, and body parts seems to shrink and expand, while the eternal smile on her –its- face is eerily empty. He can't see her –its- eyes, because it's covered by some strange pink hat that has a long tail coming out of the top. It sways with every twitch the woman thingy has as the creature regards the master before turning to stare at Alice and Naruto with an air of 'curiosity.'

"This, is a Nobody." Yen Sid says as he waves at the woman creature that continues to study Naruto. "This is a creature born from an empty husk. Tell me princess, what should happen if a person loses his or her heart?"

"Um, according to the book, he or she will become nothing but an empty husk with a soul, and fade away." Alice replies as she edge away from the creature that suddenly glides toward Naruto and starts to circle him.

"Hey! What gives?!" Said blonde man asks in irritation as the creature seems to poke and probe at him, as if testing him. It's rather annoying. However, he did take into account how it seems to dance around the giant key in his hand.

"The Nobody cannot be created simply from an empty husk. It must be a husk that contains a soul with considerably strong will to survive." Master Yen Sid explains as he watch in amusement at the Dancer Nobody play with the blonde youngster. "It is this will to survive, and to live, that the husk develops a will of its own and become what you see in front of you. In fact, this is a version of the higher Nobodies that has caused considerable trouble for Sora and his friends. However, you do not need to fear this breed in particular. They seems to calm down recently… I wonder…" The master says as he stroke his beard while his eyes scrutinize the Dancer that has taken to peering at Alice, who shrinks into the chair in discomfort from the proximity of the creature.

Standing, the master walks over to a small table that holds two particular items, a chain similar to what Alice gave Naruto, except it's of an empty block, and a bottle of… something that bubbles and gives off flashes of light here and there. Yen Sid ignores the chain for now as he picks up the bottle carefully, returns to his desk, and gently sets it down onto it. The Dancer Nobody suddenly stops moving before it turn its attention to the bottle that now rests on the desk, and seems to quiver in 'excitement.'

"Ah, yes. I believe I have found the source."

Getting more confused by the moment, Naruto decides to pitch in his own two cents before he finally drown himself in confusion. He doesn't want to be left out of the circle. "You say they caused quite a bit of trouble for this Sora person? And that they had calmed down considerably? How would you know?"

Chuckling in amusement, the master peers into Naruto's eyes and grin. "Oh-ho, it is because there has being quite a large amount of these coming and going in my castle for weeks, and they have yet to cause me trouble. I remember a while ago, even a simple Dusk can give me quick the headache."

"Huh? Couldn't you just, I don't know, get rid of them?" Naruto asks in curiosity. Yen Sid chuckles good naturally as he points to the weapon that is in the shinobi's hand. "Huh? Oh yeah, that reminds me, I'm not sure I completely understand what this is."

"That, child, is a Keyblade as I'm sure you heard Alice mentioned." Yen Sid explains as Naruto holds up the blade and watch in fascination as the Nobody edges away from it. "It is a weapon of great power, as I'm sure your… dream had informed you. And thus far, it is the ONLY kind of weapon that can truly defeat the Heartless and Nobody." The master says as he gives a wave of his hand, and on his desk appears a figure of a brown haired, blue eyes boy that is older than Alice, but younger than Naruto. In his hand is a shorter version of what Naruto held in his hand, and from the way he carries it, Naruto can tell the boy knows how to use it. "Be hold, _the_ Keyblade master. He who controls over all Keyblades, and can bind all Keyblades to his will… Although he knows he can control multiple Keyblades, he doesn't know as to the magnitude in which he may… yet."

"He doesn't look much…" Naruto says as he study the boy's image for a bit before turning back to the master sorcerer. "So the Keyblade is a powerful weapon?"

"Yes, it is powerful and holds unimaginable power. It is an artifact of many uses, as you have discover a bit ago, it can opens locks; virtually any lock in existence can be opened by a single tap of the Keyblade." Yen Sid says with excitement as he takes out a small chest from within his desk and held it towards the young man. "Now, to demonstrate, I'll give you a locked chest. Alice can testify if she wants to."

Nodding, the girl takes the small chest and tries to open it to no success, signaling that it is indeed locked. Handing it back to the master, she watches with baited breath as the sorcerer holds it up for Naruto. "Now give it a gentle tap with your Keyblade, and watch what happens."

With nothing to lose, Naruto did as instructed as he holds oh the key and gently give the small chest a tap. He jumps back as the chest pops open with a small bounce and a clicking sound, revealing in it a small heart-shaped pendent that the master then hands to Alice. "Virtually any locks…"

"Indeed. Now back to the topic before: one cannot, as you puts it, get rid of Nobodies. They are bodies, yes, but you can't harm them without a strong heart, and that only wounds them, not defeat them." Master Yen Sid explains before he waves his hand once more, banishing the small floating Heartless, and chuckles in amusement as the Dancer Nobody simply glides out the door, but not before giving a 'cheeky' hug to the young shinobi. "As for the Nobodies, they cannot feel, as they lack the heart. They REMEMBER emotions, but they cannot express them, only imitates them, thus their drive to regain their lost hearts. Though it seem that one… likes you Naruto."

"Err…"

"But Master Yen Sid? Couldn't they simply take any heart and makes it their own?" Alice asks, and the sorcerer smiles in approval. "…They can't?"

"No, Princess, they cannot. For you see, each heart is unique. No two hearts are the same. Not even clones can have the same heart. Similar maybe, but not identical." Yen Sid says as he return the jar to where it use to rest. "You see, every body needs a heart, but only ONE heart will enter that body, for only ONE heart is compatible to it." Although there is that incident with Kairi's heart taking shelter in Sora… But that is the ONLY exception he knows so far.

"…Just like Jinchuriki…" Naruto mumbles, much to Alice's confusion and Master Yen Sid's comprehension. "Not everyone can hold…"

Nodding, the sorcerer walks behind his desk once more and sits down in his chair. With another hand wave, he flips the book in Alice's lap to a particular page and motion for them to read it. "Of course, the body can be damage, the heart can be destroyed, but what of the soul? The soul either remains in the realm of the living for one reason or another, or it shall pass on into the next life; a new chance at another life. But that is a subject for another time. Now, we must get you two suitable clothing."

"Oh dear, it's finally our term!" A voice chirps from other door in Yen Sid's study, and out of it comes three short and aged women in red, blue, and green dress. Each held a wand in their hand, and on their back are tiny wings that Naruto wonders if they are even able to support them. However, he can sense their power, and is weary of them. "Oh dear, no need to fear. We won't hurt you!" The first one, the one in red says as she gently laid a hand on Naruto's elbow.

"Oh my, a Princess of Heart. My, what an honor!" The one in green, taller and thinner than the one in red, says as she peers down at Alice with a gentle smile and giddiness in her eyes.

"Oho, a tall, dark, and handsome. My, my, we have our work cut out for us." The last one, in a blue dress and the shortest of them all, yet seemly the youngest, says as she bounce around Naruto in excitement. The shinobi finds himself blushing for some strange reason.

"Now, girls. I believe you have works to do." Yen Sid says to establish some order between the three fairies. It works as the three calmed down somewhat, yet he can tell they are eager to work. "I believe Princess Alice will need some new clothing for her adventure."

"Oh?" Alice blinks before she finds herself being pull out of the chair by the one in red and asks, "Um, excuse me, but I don't need more cloth… I brought my own."

"Oh no dear, these won't do with where you're going." The red one says as she tsk at the girl. "This will wear out easily. Oh, and I'm Flora by the way." With a wave of her wand, Flora changes Alice's usual blue dress with apron into a white bottom-up shirt, a red pleated skirts that's above her knees with red stocking under it, and a red long coat over the shirt. "Hmm, better."

"O-oh my…" Alice stutters and blush at the shortness of the skirt as she tries to cover herself up. It's a good thing then that the coat reaches mid-shin. "I-is it possible f-for something… um, longer? A-and I prefer blue…"

"Oh-ho! Finally." The one in blue shouts in triumph as she hurry over to her and wave her wands. A flash of magic, Alice finds that her over all color changed to blue and white, and to her delight, the skirt is not past her knee and reaches about her ankle. "Ha! Take that! She likes blue!"

"Oh no, I think green suits her better." The one in green says as she shots a beam of magic at Alice, changing the coat into a dark green color and her dress shoes into shin-high boots held closed by dark green straps. "Hmm, much better. Oh, by the way, I'm Fauna."

"Hey! She says she likes blue!" The blue one shouts as she waves her wand at Alice once more, and bam, everything on her changed back to blue and white, except this time she notice a hood attached to the coat that is currently pulled over her head. "Oh, and I'm Merryweather."

Flora looks at Alice with a critical eye before waving her wand, changing the coat to a dark red, bordering brown and smiles in satisfaction. "There, much better."

"No, green is better!" **Bling!**

"Oh no you don't. Blue!" **Bling!**

"No, no. Red it is!" **Bling!**

And so on and so forth. Off to the sideline, Naruto watches with ever growing dread as the three fairies bicker back and forth about the color of Alice's dress. As for Master Yen Sid, he just chuckle at the group while he watches Alice's cloth change from one color to another, each change giving it a small design alteration. Finally, in a bout of frustration, all three fairies wave their wands at the same time, and three beams of light struck Alice simultaneously. When the flashes died down, Naruto blinks before he whistles in appreciation at the new cloth Alice now wears on her.

Like before, she is wearing a white bottom-up, long sleeved shirt with indigo pleated skirts that goes past her knee; the skirt is held up by indigo suspenders. It shows off her developing figure rather well, but keep everything covered, thus giving a conservative air. On her legs are white stocking while on her feet are a pair of shin-high boots strapped close by two leather straps; the boots itself is black. Her coat kept its length and hood, but he can see white fur inside the hood and that the entire jacket turned midnight black, with white flames dancing at the hems. On her back is the sigma of two of those Keyblades crossed together in an 'x' fashion, one is the version that Sora boy was holding, and the other the inverse color of the other one. The two keys are then embedded in a giant pink heart, which sports a crown on top of it with tiny white wings coming out of the side of the heart. Her long hair is let lose as usual, but her bangs are being held out of her face by hair clips in the shape of hearts instead of her usual ribbons. It gives her a more school girlish look in Naruto's opinion.

Looking herself over, Alice giggles as she does a few twirls, causing the skirt of fan out a bit, showing that it won't obscure movements and that her new boots suit her. Reaching inside her coat, she finds several straps and pockets for tiny little stuffs she can hold. Although exactly what they're for, she doesn't know. Finally, she notices a small pouch on the left suspender, near where her heart is. Blinking, she reaches in and takes out the heart-shaped pendent Yen Sid gave her a while ago, and asks, "Master Yen Sid, what's this?"

"A summoning charm…" The sorcerer says as he gently takes the pendent from Alice and threads it up with a thin, silver chain. "As to what it summons, it is entirely up to you."

Thanking the master for the explanation, Alice puts the pendent now necklace around her neck and giggles. Walking over to a full-length mirror, the Princess of Hearts turns this way and that before nodding in satisfaction and turn back to facing the three fairies. "Thank you so much! I love it!"

"Oh dear, that is quite nice of you." Flora says before she finds herself in a hug from the girl. "Oh my!" Alice in term also hugs Fauna and Merryweather, much to the former's delight and the latter's embarrassment. The girl then hugs Yen Sid and the master just chuckles good naturally before he pets the girl on the head with a smile. Finally, Alice bounces over to Naruto and stops in front of him while did a pose, causing the young man to laugh at the giddiness that girl is certainly feeling right now.

But of course, all good things must come to an end…

"Well now, young man, I believe it's your term…" Flora says with mounting excitement, and to Naruto's horror, there is a predatory shine in her eyes. "Now let's see…"

Wave of a wand, **bling**! "…WHY AM I IN A DRESS?! Correction, WHY AM I IN A WEDDING DRESS?!"

"…Oops…"

XXXXXXXXXX

After much headache and stomach ache (from laughing too hard), Naruto finally got his new wardrobe that is in his opinion, too flashy for shinobis.

First, he is currently wearing a long, black cargo pants held up by a belt. Attached to the belt are two pouches that are in a rectangular shape with red 'x' holding the pouch shut (think Sora's pouches). His chest is covered by a navy blue muscle shirt, showing off his toned body to any girls out there. On top of that is a coat similar to Alice's, only that there is no fur in the hood and the hem has orange flames against black background instead of white against black. Also, instead of the heart sigma on his back, his is of a shadowy fox head against a red circle back ground, with nine lines cutting the circles, much like his Uzumaki swirl. Where the mouth is supposed to be, the fox is holding a Keyblade, his Keyblade and the Konoha symbol on the fox's forehead. All of these come with fingerless gloves with steel plates on the back and combat boots. And to his happiness, there is a piece of familiar metallic weight on his forehead. He misses his forehead protector.

In Alice's words, he looks eatable, which by the way, doesn't sound very good to him. "Err… this is…"

"Too flashy?" Master Yen Sid supplies with a chuckle, and when Naruto nods, he walks in front of him and starts to explain. "Yes, it is, but since the cloth is magical in itself, it holds magical properties. Not only do they mend themselves together if damaged, the cloths are also self cleaning, saving the trouble of laundries. They also provide enough resistance against most weapons and magic spells. And for yours, my boy, there is a special feature installed that I specifically asks Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather to put in."

Blinking at the explanation, Naruto finds himself liking the cloth more and more. The sorcerer had him at the self cleaning part though. However, there is this one feature he talks of.

"For your profession, stealth is of the essence. As such, the cloth has the property to take on any form necessary with but a single thought." Yen Sid says as he taps his finger against the jacket. With a smile, the sorcerer steps back and motion for Naruto to test out the feature.

Seeing that there is no reason to doubt the master, Naruto closes his eyes as he thought of some of the stuff he owns back home. When he heard a gasp from Alice, he opens his eyes to search for the reason, only to gasps himself.

He is in his old orange and black jumpsuit with the white and orange-flaming coat! "Sweet… although you had me there at the self cleaning." Naruto says as he grins at the sorcerer, who laughs at the joke the young man spout out. During this time, Alice has taken it upon herself to bounce around Naruto as she looks at the clothing that Naruto has changed it into. "Hmm… let's give it a little more test drive."

With an even bigger grin, Naruto starts to change his outfit into anything he can think of, be it a plain long-sleeved shirt with pants to the dress up Alice had him come in with. He did several more test runs and fines that while he can change it into anything he likes, he must change them into things with similar properties, such as the coat and shirt can be combined into a long-sleeved shirt, but cannot become a t-shirt. And that the cargo pants can change into any type of long pants, but he can't change the length. Lastly, his boots can only be thicker, looser, tighter, and any other adjustments he likes to make, but they cannot change into other foot wears. It's a little disappointing, but it's still better than nothing.

The best thing is that it doesn't need chakra! "I really, really like it…"

"Good. Now, we shall go and discuss serious matter, such as what is actually in store for you…" Yen Sid says as he dismisses the three fairies with a "thank" and then motion for the duo to once more take their spots at the desk. The sorcerer returns to his seat also and then rests his elbows on the desk and folds his hands together for his chin to rest on. Naruto can't help but compare his pose to Tsunade's when she is serious. "Now, tell me what you know of darkness and evil…"

XXXXX Radiant Garden XXXXX

_**Present…**_

"It's really nice of them to let me keep the traveling cloak." Alice says as she takes off the cloak and neatly folds it before hugging it to her chest as she looks around. "I would hate to find another one."

"Well, you got to admit though; they give you pretty high quality stuff." Naruto says as he plays with the hem of his coat as he too, scan his surrounding. "I'm still a little confused about the cloth though. So it allows me to basically hide in plain sight because it can take on any form as to avoid… flashiness let's say. However, it also changes automatically to adapt to the world's standard?"

"Well, according to Master Yen Sid, if you were to go to a place called Halloween Town, it'll turn you into a creature of sort to blend in. Although I'm not entirely sure what he means by it." Alice explains as she continues to squeeze her traveling coat to her chest while she starts to chew on her bottom lip. "So… what do you think they're talking about?"

Naruto can only shake his head in the negative. Ever since they arrived at this place, Radiant Garden as they called it (although Alice remembered it was called Hollow Bastion), the group of people they met had basically snatched them and then all but locked them in a room as they gather to try and decide what to do with them (he thinks). It isn't everyday a door simply materializes out of no where and two people walks out of it, one carrying a Keyblade and the other carrying a large suitcase. "By the way, did they do anything with that suitcase?"

Alice seems startled at the question before she quickly walks over to the neglected chest. She remembers that the three fairies DID do something with the chest, though she has no idea what. Flipping it open, she blocks it from view with her body as she searches around in it. The girl seems startled at what she finds though. "…They changed them all…"

"Eh?" Walking over, Naruto peers over Alice's shoulder, and quickly back track towards the opposite side of the room. It seems that they have a sick sense of humor.

"Brother… are these suppose to be undergarments…?" Alice asks as she held up a sports bra and, dear god someone kills him, a pair of panties. "They look… rather revealing…"

She has no idea that those are actually the most normal ones from as far as he knows… You don't travel with a super perverted teacher for two and a half years without learning about certain stuffs. Although the thought of his late master send a wave of sadness through him, so he quickly pushes it aside and decides to face the wall on the opposite side of the wall. By the way, do you know that it's very tempting to bash his head against it right now?

"Well, we have decided what to… what are you doing?" A new voice asks as the door of the room in which they were held 'captive' bam open. In walks the girl with short black hair and hyper active attitudes, who stops at the fact that Alice is holding up a sports bra and a pair of panties and the young man is currently facing the wall, looking as if he is tempted to bash his skull against it. "…Do I want to know?"

Blushing crimson, Alice quickly stuffs everything back into the case and snap it shut with a loud thud. The girl quickly retrieves the case and held it in front of her before she quickly retrieves her surrogate brother, who is also blushing. The duo walks toward the exit and stops in front of the girl, who is about Alice's height, and waits for the next instruction.

"Err… right… They're waiting for you…" With that said, the girl leads them out the door and toward where the rest of her group is waiting.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yuffie wonders if they haven't once again toss themselves into something they shouldn't, or more specifically, if she hasn't stumble across something that is… best left to the private parties. After all, what kind of siblings shows each other their underwear?

Although she has to admit the older has sense to at least look away. So that means it's the younger one that's bizarre?

"Oh right miss; we never did get your name." The girl pipes up, breaking the uncomfortable silence, much to Yuffie's appreciation. Grinning, Yuffie jumps a few feet in front of them before she jabs a thumb at herself and grin possibly the biggest grin not seen on Naruto's face.

"I am the GREAT NINJA YUFFIE! It is a pleasure to meet you!" Grinning bigger, believing that she has surprised them, Yuffie's grin quickly drop off at the confused look of the girl and the nonchalant look of the young man. "…What's with the look?"

"…What's a ninja?"

…Oh…

"Ninja are warriors trained to be swifter on their feet and rely more on stealth and speed rather than strength and flashiness." The answer comes from the blonde man beside the girl as he peers into Yuffie's eyes, making her feel as if she's getting her skill stripped bare and then pieced back together one piece at a time. "They are… of the shadow if you will; not of the light, nor the darkness."

Yuffie can't help but feel that while it's appropriate, it's not really what ninja is…

"Yuffie? What is taking you so long?" Another voice, deep and almost monotonous, asks from the side, causing Yuffie to yelps in surprise before turning to glare at the offender. "Hey, don't look at me like that. You're just too slow."

"Squall! Take that back! The great ninja Yuffie is not slow!"

"Whatever, and it's Leon." The man in his mid-twenties, Leon or Squall (whichever) snaps back as he uncross his arms and straighten up to greet the new comers. "Well, welcome to the Radiant Garden. Sorry about the treatment; we're not accustomed to Keyblade wielders simply dropping in out of nowhere with a girl by his side." Not a complete lie, since the last time a Keyblade wielder drops in suddenly, he is with companies, but not a girl though. "By the way, we never did catch your name…"

"I'm Naruto." The older of the two says as he holds up his empty hand -having yet to dismiss the Keyblade for whatever reason- for a shake. Grasping his hand, Leon groans a bit at the strength behind it. Yes, his suspicion is correct: the young man had training before, just not with long swords.

"Hello, I'm Alice, and it's a pleasure to meet you." The younger says with a small curtsy, and Leon suddenly tense as if he was hit by a hammer. The man turns his wide eyes onto the blonde girl before he quickly dashes down the hall and enters a room. After much shouting and yelling from it, he remerged with an old man, huffing and complaining at the rough treatment, and unceremoniously dumps him right in front of Alice.

"Leon, what is the meaning of this. I demand an-!"

"No time. Merlin, I need you to confirm my suspicion." Leon urges as he points a finger at Alice. Huffing again and mumbling about youth and rudeness, the old man, Merlin adjusts his glasses before he takes a look at Alice, and promptly nearly smashes his glasses in surprise. "…It appears I'm right…"

"Oh dear, a Princess of Hearts, here?" Merlin asks as he quickly walks over to Alice. "My dear, what are you doing here?"

The girl only blinks as she tilts her head in confusion, not sure exactly what to make of the fussing about her being physically here. Just then, her mischief decides to rare its head, and not one to deny some fun, Alice smiles as she waves a hand at her surrogate brother and says, "Would you believe me if I told you I was kidnapped by him?" In a blink of an eye, she suddenly finds herself behind Merlin with the man, Leon, and Yuffie pointing weapons at a startled Naruto. Those weapons are resting rather comfortably on his neck… "Oh my! I'm sorry! I'm simply pulling your legs! He didn't kidnap me!"

"Next time, please don't play around at a time like this." Her brother's voice says from behind her and Alice blinks before the Naruto in her vision vanishes in a puff of smoke. Surprised and confused, she quickly turns around to find Naruto standing behind her giving her an annoyed glare. Blink once, blink twice, "How… what…"

"…Ninjutsu…" Yuffie murmurs in distain, for being one upped by another ninja is harmful to her pride. "So that's why…"

Poor little Alice can only blinks her eyes from one person to the next. After all, she's the cause of the tension that now hung over her head.

XXXXXXXXXX

Shortly afterward, we finds our heroes and heroines inside a room with two other, a man in his late forty and a woman in her early twenties. Cid and Aerith are their names, and currently they are trying to figure out just what is a Princess of Hearts that is NOT of their world doing here.

"She followed me…"

"But brother, I want to be with you!"

"She forced herself on me." Ignore dirty implication please.

"Oh, why must you be so difficult brother? I wish to see different worlds. And I know for a fact that my world simply won't be enough to satisfy you."

"She is too curious for her own fucking good…"

"Brother! Language!"

Never mind trying to figure it out. They're just trying to prepare themselves for the headache that is… oh wait, no, it's already here.

Meanwhile, Leon is already messaging the bridge of his nose in irritation as the siblings bickering against each other, each refusing to cave in into the other. Although he can see the older one is trying to persuade the younger to return to her world for her own safety. Of course, rebellious little sisters never listen to their big brothers. Although he wonders why do they have to be so… childish?

"But Alice, you can get hurt!"

"Oh please brother. I can take care of myself. Besides, you won't let anyone hurt me."

"Yes, that is true, but-!"

"Ah! You forced me to do this!" Alice finally shouts as she stands up from her chair and quickly plots herself into Naruto lap. "First brother, I'm coming whether you like it or not. Secondly, I can take care of myself just fine. And finally, you NEED me to take you to places! So there, ha!"

Ouch… Naruto winces at the last one, knowing that indeed, he is dependent on her to take him to different worlds least he wants to be stuck on one. He knows he can't stay on one for long, curiosity and all that jazz. Although does she has to sit on his lap? "…That's a low one… Now get off me…" His answer is a pink tongue and the cold shoulder treatment. "…Why me…?"

"…Now that we have established some idea as to why you're here, we would like to know where you're going." Leon says after he is sure that they won't start arguing once more. At that note, everyone perks up in interesting, especially Merlin, seeing that in his company is a Princess of Hearts. He had yet to meet one personally before.

The group waits with baited breath as the duo looks at each other with raised eyebrow. The older one shrugs carelessly while the younger smiles innocently, and they reply at the same time, "Wherever the wind takes us."

XXXXXXXXXX

After the awkward situation regarding the reason behind their sudden appearance and her actual presence near a Keyblade wielder, Alice finds that the group – the Restoration Committee – is very nice people. They treat them nicely, very hospitable, and as far as Alice is concerned, like a distant family.

The same can't be said for Naruto though she fears, because the girl, Yuffie seems too taken on pestering him. Maybe it's because he is also one of these ninjas as she recently discovered, or that the little incident two days ago simply ruffle's the female ninja's feather. Oh, that reminds her, ever since he revealed himself to be a ninja; he seems to be more… distant around her. That hurts her, because it's as if he doesn't trust her. What can a little girl like her do to him?

"Alice?"

Huh? Oh, that must be Aerith. She's like a very loving older sister, like Penelope, only not as strict and always gentle. Although she does have ways to strike fear into you; never understand how she does it…

"Oh? Miss Aerith, is there anything I can do for you?"

The woman just smiles as she gently pulls Alice's hand and leads her into Merlin's house, where they are currently staying at. Confused and slightly curious, Alice did not protest as she lets Aerith pull her into the kitchen and blinks in surprise. "Oh?"

"Naruto accidentally let slip that you learned how to cook?"

Oh, so that's what it is. "Umm, it's only small things, nothing fancy. Err, don't mean to be rude, but did you pry it out of him?" Alice asks hesitantly, and at Aerith's confused look, she decides to elaborate. "Brother is rather secretive about certain things. I know that much for the few months I adopted him and knew him."

"Wait, you're saying that you two are not related?!" Aerith cries in surprise, and Alice blinks in confusion before the whole thing down on her. She never told them they weren't related huh? "Oh my… you two looks like actual brother and sister though."

That reminds her why she takes a liking to him. "He looks like father, and my sister always says I have his eyes. He has the general face shape, and nose and lips. The eyes are different though. They look more like Penelope's, my actual sister. I wonder if he is some long lost relative though it doesn't seem possible. He was not from MY world."

Alice trailed off as she once again try to understand how a man can survive literally dropping down from the sky and impacting the earth, leaving behind a crater large enough that she has to CLIMB in it. Though maybe it has something to do with that strange red-haired woman in that dream? Just then, she remember that she is with company, so quickly shaking hear head, Alice turns her attention back to Aerith, who has remain speechless during the entire time. Deciding it's better to change the subject since she doesn't even know much of it herself, Alice smiles as she folds her hands behind her and says, "Anyway, Miss Aerith, is there anything I can help you with? We ARE in the kitchen."

XXXXXXXXXX

The smell of baked goods is undeniable. It smells of rich chocolate, of lemony flour, of creamy delight, and of the cake that he uses to get from Alice back in her world. But right now, he can't think of that, least he wants to be hurt badly. Who would have thought that old man Cid is such an expert with spears?

"Focus. He has the advantage of reach, so to compensate you must either attack him from a range or slips into his guard." Leon instructs from the sideline, giving him advises that he ALREADY knew. There are two problems with this though. One, he lacks ranged weapon and most of his ranged jutsus are very destructive. Like as in clear an acre or two destructive. Two, he is forbade to use anything else but the giant key in his hand! And damn is that thing clumsy! "That is a long sword, so you can't swing it like you do a short knife or dagger. Use your wrists, not your arms." Oh sure, tell him that he must learn how to use it when he can already use other little things. But NO~, the Keyblade is powerful, so as a wielder, you must learn to use it.

The only good thing that comes out of these training is that he learns his gloves lets him fire shurikens made out of some form of energy. Although against Cid, it is relatively useless since he can parry every single one of them by simply twirling that damn spear of his! "Your mind is wondering once more. Focus on the battle."

"WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP!!" Naruto shuts in frustration as he dish out a rather mean vertical slash with considerable power behind it, but Cid pretty much just slap it away by poking his hands with the butt of his spear. "ARGH! DAMN IT!"

"Ho-ho! The kid has quite the language." Cid laughs as he smacks Naruto's head with his spear for good measure. "Keep it to yerself. There can only be one resident bad-mouth, and 'tis me. Ya hear?"

Naruto growls in annoyance as he nurses his bruised head before an idea struck him. He is not allowed to use anything else but his Keyblade, and it's either attack from range or get in close… Hmm… "Well, might as well give it a try."

XXXXXXXXXX

Cid smirks as he watch the young man mumbles to himself before his eyes widen as he toss the giant Keyblade at him like a giant shuriken. Cursing, Cid quickly blocks it with his spear, sending it away a little, only to openly gap as it was caught by Naruto's hand easily and brought down on him with a powerful slash. Cursing once more, the old pilot and inventor side steps and prepare himself for retaliation, only to falter as Naruto's leg shot out with a vicious kick that nicked him in the side. If the pain is any indication, he hates to be caught by its full force.

"A power user…" Cid mumbles as he finally gets a good grasp on Naruto's fighting style: wild, unpredictable, yet at the same time, very simple to understand. Coupling with the fact that the blonde packs quite a punch, he can take out people easily if he catches them off guard. And that is the thing, he can't catch Cid off guard that easily, and he is only limited to his Keyblade and limbs. So in order to prevent his old bones from suffering pain, Cid quickly retreat a little, causing his opponent to lose his balance, and then-

**WHAM!**

"Itai!" Maybe that hit to the head is a little too hard… Nah, he's young. He can take it.

After all, no pain, no gain.

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

Meh, this is a bridge chapter more than anything. It shows Naruto's education in the use of Keyblade and magic if I decide to throw that in. Although I do plan to have Alice learns some magics. It's not very satisfactory, but then again, I'm more rushing than anything. Really need to get it out of my head, the plot bunny that is.

Oh, and I did some more thinking about the love life of the characters. I'll probably do a harem of three women, and that's that. Or I'll just stick with a one-on-one for Naruto, but have several chases after him like Love Hina situation. Hmm, it might be fun to do.

Next, Alice's relationship with Naruto might be very confusing to some and down right boring to others. Just to say that this so far is very, VERY basic. Their relationship with be developed in the future. Remember that right now, Naruto is a complete mystery to Alice. She doesn't know a lot about him, and some of the things about him will cause mix reactions to different people, so don't judge me about how I'm simplifying relationships too much right now. Everything will eventually be dealt with (except for story details that I either won't explain or just don't feel like explaining).

Lastly, the Radiant Garden arc is once again, a bridge chapter, since it's basically 'fixed' by Sora, thus giving it no problem except occasional local Heartless that will ALWAYS exist. So this is a place for developing Naruto's skill and Alice's as well. Though rest assure, there will be things for them to do.

Well, enjoy, and don't get used to the upload speed. It's really just a fancy moment of… writer's heat if you will.

Oh, and if there are still grammar problem, I'm sorry. I really am proof reading it. But people always catch your mistakes when you can't even get a glimpse of your own.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Repetition… It's all repetition…

XXXXX World that Never Was XXXXX

It's being almost a year now since that brat Sora defeated Xemnas. For that, Maleficent is grateful, since now, the castle that floats above the World that Never Was is HERS!

Every single bits of it is hers. Although she must remembers about that giant crater where Xemnas's insufferable dragon dug in for the battle and the top of the castle that was broken off. However, even with those… minor setbacks, Maleficent is happy.

Well, she WAS happy a while ago, until that accursed dream started showing up. It is always the same, always, and that alone worries her. Because no matter what others say, only visions of things to come ever remain the same in dreams.

It's always the same. The same giant fox with nine tails, and standing on top of it is a blonde man with piercing blue eyes, staring right into her black soul. He is the angel fallen from heaven, to deal divine punishment. He is the one who reaches into her chest and pulls out her heart, beating and pulsing, judges it as if weighing a piece of meat, before crushing it into oblivion. And that is always when she'll wake up from her slumber, drenched in cold sweat, eyes wide and frantic, searching, scanning. Only when she is sure there is no one in her chamber does she relax.

This worries her. For she, Maleficent, self-proclaimed Queen of Darkness, is afraid of a dream… Not a dream, a vision.

And she knows, that no matter how much confidence she has in herself, in her intelligent, and in her power, she must prepare.

XXXXXXXXXX

_**1 and a half week after arriving at Radiant Garden…**_

Things were pretty much the same for the past one and a half week. Naruto continues to train in the art of Keyblade wielding, Alice has taken to studying some magic under Merlin's wings, and the Restoration Committee has being pitching him against any mob of Heartless that appears every now and then. He is grateful that they allow him to actually vent frustration on them either purposely or not, for constantly getting your ass handed to you by Leon ("DAMN GUNBLADE!"), Cid ("SCREW YOU OLD MAN! OW!"), and surprisingly Aerith ("NEE-SAN! ARE YOU PURPOSELY AIMING BETWEEN THE LEGS!?!") is not pretty. Who knew the gentle, responsible, and older sister type of woman can fight? What was that saying from Killer Bee again? Oh right: "Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee!"

Still, they could do without putting Alice in danger by saying that it's a good way to practice offensive spells! He would skin that old goat Merlin if it weren't for the fact Alice likes him. If she doesn't, they will find him gone the next day at the maximum, and the next hour at he minimum. After all, he has built his entire philosophy around protecting that which is precious to him, and to him, Alice is precious, and she is becoming his precious little sister at such a rate he wonder if she didn't fed him magical potion (because according to Merlin when he asked, it is possible).

Though the pace at which Alice learn basic magic is undeniable.

Either way, the last one and a half week has being insightful. Who knows that Keyblade can do so many things? It can open virtually any locks or seal virtually any locks and said locks can only be open once more by the Keyblade. It can be used as a giant boomerang that causes considerable damage if it hit something. It can cut at such cleanness that he wonders what would happen if he adds his wind chakra. And best of all, it can disappear and reappear at his command! Oh yes, no more holding on to the thing! No matter what people say how little it weight, it is still weight!

Now all that remains is giving it a suitable name. He won't keep calling it Keyblade, because for some strange reason, he felt it to be disrespectful. He certainly won't call it something like the "Super Omega Door Opener" now can he? So what exactly should he call it?

Let's see what it does first them, because from what he heard Leon says, all Keyblades are born of one thing or another, and that each grants a special ability. For instance, that Sora person's Oathkeeper is a white Keyblade named such because of its chain and how he created it: the memory of a girl named Kairi. So what should he call his?

He got it from the Power that Is as Merlin and Yen Sid called it. Its weight is a reflection of how much guilt he held. Its chain is that of an old-fashioned key. It is perhaps the longest Keyblade in existence. It is also rather sharp, sharper than Sora's, says Leon from personal experience. So what should he name it?

"The Path of Redemption?" Naruto asks himself as he summons the Keyblade and scrutinize it. It seems to vibrate in approval. How does he know? Don't know. "Redemption seems like the wrong thing to say. I'm not seeking redemption… It fit in that redemption is hard to attain, and the road is long and full of hardship, just like how you're long and sharper than the rest. And to gain redemption, you must first open the door to people heart so they can understand you. Though who are you redeeming? I don't need redemption…"

Shrugging and thinking that whatever or whoever needs redemption, he will try and give it to them. Although that has yet to give him an idea on what ability this particular Keyblade grants.

Still, he wishes it can help him with magic. To be able to shots fire or zap people with lightening and without the use of hand seals is very appealing. But for one reason or another, he simply is not getting magic. He can't produce a smoke with fire spell, can't even chill the air with blizzard, and let's not even start with his thunder one. Being a wind affinity seems to just shot his chance with thunder element to hell. The one thing he does have some success is Reflect magic, but he can only reflect small areas no larger than the size of his palm!

If you compare his ability against Alice, who is also learning basic magic just because she wants to, he would be like trying to scale an ice cliff with nothing but his bare hand while she has someone to pull her up with a rope. It's sad, it's depressing, but it is reality. Naruto has the feeling that magic simply isn't for him, because magic only require the spiritual (or mental) energy to cast, and he already had the way of chakra engraved into his head.

To switch from using only the mental aspect of your energy when you have being using a mixture of both physical and mental energy is like asking someone to learn how to walk or run with only one eye open. It's not impossible, but it takes time; a lot of time and effort. Effort he has plenty, it's the time issue that he isn't so sure about. After all, he (and Alice since she tags along) goes where the wind takes him, so he can stay for a few days to years.

But oh well. He'll take what he can get. The life of a shinobi teaches you to never take anything for granted. After all, you never know when you'll lose it.

"Well, might as well head back now. The sun is going down…" Naruto says as he pushes himself up. Staring at the horizon is nice and all, but to do it on the tall wall that surround the place is even nicer. Feeling the need to whistle, Naruto easily bounce off the wall and heads toward his temporary stay: Merlin's house. It's nothing special, but it's cozy and comfortable, and that's what counts in his eyes. "I wonder what's for dinner…"

So lost in thought was he, that Naruto never notice the blur that is currently heading for him. That is why when Yuffie suddenly glomps him, Naruto the shinobi was so caught off guard that he lost his balance and fell onto his ass. "YUFFIE!"

"Hi-ya handsome!" The girl shouts as she straddles Naruto's chest while grinning down at him. The blonde wonder what could cause her to be in such high mood, because usually she drop kick him instead of glomping him. "Guess what?!"

"I don't know…what?"

"TIFA IS BACK!!"

Huh? Who?

XXXXXXXXXX

Somewhere, in the realm that is of the darkness, a being regains consciousness for the first time in years. Change is upon it, and it can feel its own power restoring slowly, but steadily.

It may not be ready to attempt in taking control once more, but it can wait. After all, it waited before, so it can wait again.

In the realm of darkness, a single pink eye opens, providing some light for the face of the being, revealing a woman with striking features, blue skin, and a head full of silver hair. It, revealing to be a she smirks; knowing the time to reemerge is at hand.

And the time to reunite with her 'son' is approaching. Soon, they shall rule the worlds, together…

XXXXXXXXXX

**Beep… beep… beep…**

The steady beeping of machines fill the laboratory as a single man works on his mad experiments. The lab itself is full of things, be it curious to down right unimaginable. Test tubes fill the lone table that occupies the lab while records occupy the shelves. Volume after volume of data composed through years of research is all there. From the project SOLDIER, of Project G, of Project S (or more commonly known as Project Sephiroth), of Deepground, of the Clones, of the Remnants, of every projects, large or small, ever conducted by him.

Of that accursed Turk Vincent Valentine, of the girl Aerith and her origin of the Cetra, of the unexpected growth of Cloud Strife, of the Organization XIII (though sadly it is only from observation), of Heartless (continued by copied notes secretly taken from Ansem the Wise), of the Nobody (captured through the use of Heartless), of that brat of a Keybearer Sora (once again, only through observation), of Riku and his twilight power (a small sample of hair here and some scraps of skin there), of Maleficent (past, present, and prediction based on observation), and now, of the strange energy called chakra…

Hmm, it seems strange, that such curious energy has so much use. It's almost as potent as mako, almost being that it can enhance a human being as mako does in the SOLDIER project, but only temporary unlike the permanent effect granted by mako. Yet unlike mako, it can be manipulated on such a greater extent, and can be transformed into all kinds of energy, be it plasma, photon, or just simple kinetic energy that flows constantly in water. It is almost like this magic people speak of, yet while magic can only be harvested by a small amount of people, chakra can be harvested by everyone. And best of all, it is virtually limitless with the amount of human beings alive.

Oh, the potential. The things he could do with it if given enough time. He can almost wet himself with the amount of things he can do with it!

But first, he must understand everything he can about it. After all, Hojo can't be sloppy in his work. Oh no, he cannot. Not if he wants to produce such miraculous projects.

Unable to contain his glee, the mad scientist Hojo unleash a full-belly laugh as he dreams of how much he can do with this chakra energy.

The laugh of a mad scientist drifts out of the lab, and into a particular tube that contains the mentioned Turk, who steered, but remain unconscious and in a coma.

Other wise, the lab is silent, only being filled with the constant beeping of machines, never faltering, never stopping.

**Beep… beep… beep…**

XXXXXXXXXX

In the endless void between light and darkness, a single girl that looks to be 10 years old, but in all reality is a 20 years old wonders aimlessly, searching for the one person that once brings her out of darkness, only to be captured by it.

She has being searching for almost a year now, never finding a single trace of the person she is searching for. In that span of time, all that she has to accompany her is the endless silence and the occasional things that are unbelievably flexible.

She has no need for food, because for some reason, she never gets hungry here. She still breathes and sleep, but she never drink a liter of water nor eat an ounce of food ever since she entered this place.

It's annoying. Yet for Shelke Rui, it is minor compared to the frustration she feels searching for a person who simply vanished for all intend and purposes. Why does she continue?

…Because he is perhaps the only person she feels comfortable with, and that it is the least she can do for him for all that he had done for her.

XXXXXXXXXX

In his study, Yen Sid couldn't help but frown as he suddenly feels a shift in the forces of the universe. It is almost as if something bad is coming… "Alas, it appears this peace cannot last…"

Contemplating what he should do, his eyes landed on the blank key chain and the bottle that still sit on a small table off to the side. He still has no idea what they are for, but he knows for sure they are not for Sora. That means it is either for Riku, his apprentice Mickey, or the newest Keyblade Wielder Naruto.

It doesn't seem to be Riku, because he does not garner the same reaction Naruto does with Nobodies, even if it was just the Dancer that reacts to the blonde youngster's presence. Mickey often has his hands full, be it ruling over his own kingdom or worrying about this and that. He dares not pushes more burden onto his apprentice, because his instinct tells him that the two objects will bring more responsibilities.

So that leaves Naruto… But he lacks experience. He does not have the knowledge that Sora, Riku, or Mickey has of the worlds, of the Keyblades, and of what comes with the Keyblades. He is still learning, and Yen Sid wonders if sending him to Leon instead of Mickey is the right choice… No, he cannot doubt his instinct…

Now just how to… ah…

Grinning, Yen Sid waves his hand, and a Dancer Nobody pops into his room, 'confused' and 'curious' about the sudden summon. The sorcerer clears his throat, gaining the attention of the Nobody before he waves a hand at the key chain and bottle, which then were repackaged into a backpack that looks like a larger version of Sora's side pouch. Pointing at the pack, Yen Sid looks at the Nobody and says, "Take this to Naruto if you please." Thinking quickly, the master retrieves three pieces of parchment and quickly scribbles down some messages for the young man and his companion Alice, for Leon, and for the King, before folding it neatly and seal it into envelopes with his seal stamped into the wax. "Also, please give the blue one to Leon, and the yellow to Naruto. Give the white one to the King, who I believe you know where he is." He considered sending a letter to Sora as well, but decides not to. His policy with Nobodies (the same with Heartless, mind you) is whack first, question later.

The Dancer Nobody takes a look at the old sorcerer and simply nods, accepting the order as she retrieves the backpack, slings it over the shoulder, and then glides over and snatches the three letters out of the master's hand. With another pop, she disappears into a Corridor of Darkness, leaving the old master to contemplate what is to be done.

Something is coming, and it'll be far worst than anything Sora and Mickey has faced before. It seems that the fate of the universe falls once more upon the shoulders of the Keybearers.

XXXXXXXXXX

The first thing that enters Naruto's head when he sees this Tifa person is 'hawt damn! Mommy came home!' The second is 'wow, lost of balance!' And the last thing that enters before his brain shut down for a bit is 'wow, they're soft…'

That is the last thing he thought before he is blasted into la-la land from a massive nosebleed. Reason: Yuffie is a little too excited, thus in her enthusiasm, she accidentally knocked a stunned Naruto into Tifa's well-endowed chest region. Actually, the only reason the blonde young man is still alive and only suffers from light headedness and awkwardness is because that it's all an accident.

Although that doesn't mean Alice isn't displeased with him, and that doesn't save him from some powerful punches either.

But that is all in the past (the last… 30 minutes kind of). Right now, the Restoration Committee, Naruto, Alice, and Tifa are all gathered in Merlin's house to enjoy a large dinner made by the woman.

After some studying that does not involve touching or ogling, Naruto finds Tifa to be a very attractive woman. Like before, she has a killer body that can fight if the muscle he sees and the punches he felt are any indication. Her long hairs are currently held back in a pony tail while her wine-colored eyes shine in laughter. She is in a strange combination of leather and cloth, but that just seems to bring out her appeal. The final thing that Naruto notice is that she is very motherly, more so than Aerith who is like a very refined older sister that has a very mean mischievous side.

That, and her cooking is excellent!

So here he is, battered and bruised, but laughing at the stories Tifa tells him of her missing friend Cloud and enjoying one of the best meal he has ever had the pleasure of tasting. Alice, who is sitting by his side, is also openly giggling at some of the antics Cloud seems to made, of his cluelessness at times and of his comments that is neither here nor there. Cid seems to enjoy himself, his hearty laughter fills the entire room. Leon chuckles occasionally while Aerith has jumped in herself in the quest to embarrass the chocobo head as they like to call him.

Of the blonde chocobo head that is not at the table.

They cannot fool him; the person who has wore a mask for the majority of his life, and still is wearing a mask even now. Past betrayal and experience forced him to not trust anyone, even surrogate families. You don't get your lung punctured by someone you called a brother and not be traumatized by it in some way. The worst thing is that it was done TWICE! One time is at the Valley of the End and the other time when he tries to stop him from destroying Konoha. So for him to see through their masks of happiness is relatively easy; almost as easy as stealing candies from babies for shinobi easy.

Though he also feels some shame in that little Alice probably will never get to know the real him… But those thoughts are for other times. Now is the time for merry-making and getting as drunk as a squirrel on steroid!

…Bad reference, but you get the idea.

Still, he wonders if they should stop with the stories. Yuffie looks as if she'll die of suffocation from all the laughing.

"R-Remember that one time when Cloud accidentally slips on his bike and crashes into a trash pile? He came out with a diaper on his head!" Yuffie says as she recounts one of the humorous stories of the chocobo head, and then doubles over in laughter. Cid whole heartedly laughs as he slams his mug onto the table with a bam, and Alice half grimaced and half giggles at the image that appears in her head. "OH, OH, remember what he said?"

"Oh, I remember." Aerith says as she raises her hand, gathering everyone's attention to her as she did her best imitation of Cloud's face at the time and turn to Tifa. "Teef, I think I need a diaper changed."

The entire table burst out laughing while Tifa wipes away some tear from laughing too much. It was truly one of those times that will forever be branded into Cloud's Hall of Shame. Too bad for him, his Hall of Shame is the laughing stock of all of his friends.

Yup, it's time for merry-making. Troubles can wait.

**Puff!** Didn't he say that trouble can wait? Well, it seems that it's a law of the universe that trouble always bites you in the time you least expects it to.

"WHAT THE-!"

"NOBODY!!"

"WHAT IN THE BLAZING HELL IS IT DOING HERE!?"

"MERLIN! BLAST IT!"

"OH DEAR! NOT MY TABLE!"

"WHAT IN THE-! HEY!" Naruto shouts as the Dancer Nobody that appears on the dinner table drops herself into his lap and practically shoves a backpack and a letter into his hands. At this, all activities seized as the people scrambling to retrieve their weapons and Tifa's kick all stop in mid-action. The Dancer Nobody then glides over to a surprised Leon and then drops a letter on top of his head, much to his confusion. Just then, Naruto's mind registered exactly why he has a sense of déjà vu. "YOU! I REMEMBER YOU!"

The Nobody seems to shake with giggles as she glides back to Naruto and gives him the same 'cheeky' hug before once more popping out of existence. Grumbling about Nobodies and annoying behaviors, Naruto looks up to find the entire room saves Alice staring at him as if he has grown a second head. "…What?"

"Did it just hug you?" Yuffie asks, always being the one to rebound the fastest due to her desire to cause mayhem. Seeing Naruto's grimace, the self-proclaimed great ninja burst out laughing, clutching her stomach at the unexpected turn of event. Who knows that the handsome young man even attracts female Nobodies?

"Blah, laugh all you want. See if I care!" The older ninja says as he grumbles some more about rude girls and flat chest, earning himself a shoe to the head. He probably deserved that… But not, I repeat, NOT the sausage that follows. "Grr… anyway, what is this?" Ignoring the reaction that others are sending him, Naruto turns his attention back to the backpack and letter he… hey, where did that letter go?

"Brother, we have to go." Alice says as she shoves a piece of parchment into Naruto's face. It seems the mystery of the letter's where about is solved. "Master Yen Sid wants us to be on our way. And he says the first place we should go is the bridge to neither the light nor darkness."

"…Damn old goats with their riddles." Naruto mumbles as he reads the letter for himself before turning his attention to the backpack. Opening it, he finds several healing potions and ethers (he doubt he needs the ethers), the blank key chain, and that bottle of something bubbling. Checking once more to see that the content described in the letter are all there for him, Naruto close the bag and slung it over his shoulder before he looks at the silent party before him. "It seems we must take our leaves now. Master Yen Sid says it's urgent that I be on my way."

"He's right… Master Yen Sid wants them on their way. Although where, I don't know." Leon says, backing up Naruto's claim as he reread Yen Sid's letter once more, checking or anything that he might have missed in the initial reading. "I suppose you two best be on your way. Sorry that we cannot lend you any Gummi Ships."

"Oh, no need to worry." Alice says as she stomps her foot, and behind her, a door leading into the Corridor of Light appears. "We have ways, although it's rather limited right now. All there are in there are doors leading to a place called the Twilight Town, Disney Castle, Beast's Castle, and the Land of Dragon. I suppose we're to find the right path that leads to this bridge Master Yen Sid speaks of somewhere around here…"

Humming, Naruto tries to decide on a course of action as he turns to Merlin for guidance. Being a sorcerer means knowing certain things after all.

"Head for Twilight Town." Merlin says as to answer Naruto's unasked question. "You want to search for this bridge as my old friend Yen Sid says. It leads to a place of neither light nor darkness, so I suggest going where it implies of both light and darkness."

"Twilight Town it is." Naruto says as he turns to quickly steps into the Corridor of Light. Out of the corridor, Alice sighs as she once again compares her surrogate brother's behavior to that of a soldier. He really is too efficient at times.

Turning around, the Princess of Hearts grins sheepishly as she did a small apologetic bow, and says, "Sorry about that. Brother doesn't like to say good bye. He is not rude by any means, just that he dislike good byes. So I suppose I'll follow his lead. We will see each other again after all." With that said and done, the girl also jugs through the door, and the entrance slams shut before dissolving into light once more, leaving behind a slightly messy and quiet dining room.

Sighing, Leon ponders on the next step they are to take. Master Yen Sid urges him to do as much as he can when Sora arrives in the next few days (how he knows of it, he is not sure. Master Yen Sid just knows). Groaning at the headache that appears, Leon folds the letter neatly before turning to address the group. "Well, it seems we have our works cut out for us. Sora and friends will arrive in a few days, and there are things that need to be done. I want Ansem's research dug through once more to give use any idea of what this Bridge he talks about it. Move out."

With that said, the room burst into activities as members of the Restoration Committee hurries to their stations to do as instructed, leaving only Leon, Merlin, and Tifa remaining in the room. Sighing again, Leon turns to the old sorcerer and asks, "Is it wise to send them to Twilight Town instead of Disney Castle?"

"…For once Leon, I do not know…"

XXXXX Corridor of Light XXXXX

Alice finds herself lost as to what is on her surrogate brother's mind. He accepted Master Yen Sid's request easily… a little too easily. She wonders if something happened during their stay in Yen Sid's castle. He basically tells them to venture into unknown territory with little to no knowledge of what awaits them and what is expected of them. Human beings feared the unknown, and that is why they either ignore it or shun it. Thus for Naruto to simply accept he request so easily, it frightens her a little.

It's almost as if he has done this kind of thing his whole life.

"By the way, what is a Gummi Ship?"

…Oh, that is a good question. "I do not know brother. But it seems we do not have the time to find out. Master Yen Sid's letter sounds most urgent."

"Meh, I guess. So off we go to Twilight Town!"

"Ah! Brother, it's this way!" How she knows that, she isn't sure. The Corridor of Light is confusing, yet she just knows how to navigate it. Probably come with the ability to use it? Instinct it is then.

Well, at least she can rube something in her brother's face. That'll teach him to make fun of her fencing skills! "…Oh…"

…What does direction and fencing has to do with each other?

XXXXX Disney Castle XXXXX

Donald, as scheduled everyday, once again heads for Mickey's study to inform him of the time. The magician knocks on the door of his study, and waits for the invites to enter. When nothing comes, he once more knocks again, louder and harder this time, wondering if the king accidentally fell asleep on his desk once more. He does that sometimes. When nothing comes still, the duck wonders what has happen and decides to intrude. "Your majesty?" Opening the door, Donald peers into the study carefully, lease he disturb the King… EMPTY?! "…Oh boy…"

Like almost two years ago, Donald rushes around the castle and the land around it, searching, probing, and sniffing for a trace of where the King might went. When he finds once again nothing, he knows that things are going down into the drain… "THE KING IS MISSING!!!"

XXXXX ??? XXXXX

Mickey sighs once more as he heads for his master's study, hands clutched around the letter from him as well as a bag of supplies over his shoulder. It's one of these moments that he wish he can open Corridors of Darkness. Those are very useful, and while he fears the darkness a little, he knows how to take care of himself. It's not that the special magical train is uncomfortable, it's just takes a while to get to Yen Sid's place.

Still, maybe he should have told Donald, Goofy, and Minnie…

No, best send the former two to Sora. Something is coming, and master is worried. He best head over and see if he can gain more information. Mickey has a gut feeling that whatever is coming will make Maleficent seem mild.

XXXXX ??? XXXXX

The soft padding of sandals on the sand drifts off into the vast nothing that is the Realm of Darkness. The owner of the sandals scans his surrounding in curiosity as well as caution.

Who knew the Kyuubi possesses the ability to open paths into new worlds?

For the first while in Uchiha Madara's life, his heart fills with ambition that is only but of the maddest mind. He wants the entire universe or himself.

And nothing, not even that thorn-in-his-side Naruto, for he knows he is alive somewhere, can stop him.

XXXXX Twilight Town XXXXX

Summer vacation is almost here. That means that it's almost time for more time than they can kill, more sea-salt ice cream consumed each day, and more sweat ever thought possible. But they can't forget one more thing. It's also time for the annual Struggle battle!

With all these in mind, it's not surprising that the town's occupants see Hayner, Pence, and Olette wondering the street with glee and excitement. The trio seems to dance around each other as the two boys go on and on about what they'll do while the girl continuing to remind them about summer homework, yet the smile on her face is undeniable. Everyone is waiting for summer vacation to come, and even Seifer and his gang lighten up on their annoyance in anticipation of summer break, even if so they can double it later.

But with that aside, Hayner, Pence, and Olette once again find themselves gathering at the spot in the back alley, doped properly the Usual Spot. And just like the name, soon the three teenagers occupy their own usual sits in the Usual Spot. They laugh, they smile, and they rejoice in the fact that in just a few days, school will let out once more so they will have their well-deserved break.

"Hey, you two think that Sora will visit?" Hayner suddenly asks, and upon the mention of the perky boy's name, Pence and Olette sit up straighter too. "I mean, it's almost summer break, and last time he visits was also during summer break. You think he'll show up again?"

The only girl in the group shrugs as she leans back in her sit and says, "Well, I for one am not sure. I mean from what I heard from Kairi, they also have summer homework."

The rounder of the two boy groans in exasperation. Seriously, can't she go without one moment of mentioning school work? "Olette, can you not talk about summer homework?"

"Oh sure, and let you two do them all the last day by pulling another all-nighter?" Olette says as she crosses her arms authoritatively, and much to the boys' annoyance, she is right. All-nighters are not fun too pull. They can still remember the sleepiness during their first day of class. Let's just say the teachers got very bad first impression of them. "But I suppose they could spare a few days to visit?"

"Oh now you're talking!" Hayner says with enthusiasm as he pumps his fists into the air. "I still want that rematch with Sora!"

"You'll just get your ass handed to you… again." Pence sniggers as he bluntly points out the difference in skill between his wild friend and the perky boy that made such an impression on them.

"S-shut up!" Hayner grounds out in embarrassment. It's not he's fault that he doesn't go around saving worlds now is it? "Besides, y-you wouldn't last five second against him!"

"Hey!"

"Well, boys, I bet you I can last at least fifteen seconds with him!" Olette boasts good-naturally, only to be pelted with bean bags located around the Usual Spots. Boys and their pride… "You guys suck."

The two boys just look at each other, before their eyes gain an evil light to them, much to Olette's fear. Their wiggling fingers don't help the situation. It only seems to hint at her eventual doom though. "No, you are not…"

"Oh yes, we are." Hayner says with a grin as he slowly advance towards the edgy girl. Beside him, Pence sniggers as he holds up his hands in the air and wiggle his fingers in an exaggerated manner. Olette only has one second to escape before the two boys jump at her. Too late though, because it seems even with his larger size, Pence is surprisingly fast. "EEK!" Then the tickling starts. "HAHAHA! G-GUYS!! MERCY!! HAHAHA! I GIVE!! ST-STOP!!!"

"Never!" Hayner and Pence shout at the same time as they continue to tickle their childhood friend without mercy. Their girl is too fun to tease.

**FUM! Click…**

"Huh?" Hayner gasps as he turns to the source of the sound, and his jaw nearly dislocated at the large door that simply appears out of nowhere. It's almost like that time, when Kairi simply drops out of a hole in the air. "Err, guys… check this out…"

Having finally been allowed to regain some air, Olette sits up as her eyes scan the door in wonder. Pence also gape in awe at the door that simply materialized in front of them. The three 'ooh' in amazement as the door swings open, and out walks…

"Oh brother, I think we're here." A girl of 12 or 13 says as she hops out the light-emitting door. She is slightly shorter than Pence, and clearly doesn't have the curve that Olette has being developing. But her large blue eyes and smiling visage is cute none the less. If she is slightly older, maybe say around Olette's age, the two boys will have no problem about asking her out. Although what's this about a brother?

"Of course we're here. The door clearly says we're here. But why do I have to unlock the door again this time? Radiant Garden has no problem with us simply walking through." The next person that walks out makes Hayner and Pence doubt their masculinity while Olette's eyes widen further in awe. Six foot and a half, head full of untamed blonde hair, and cerulean eyes that scan the surrounding. Cheeks marked by exotic whisker marks and kissable lips (in Olette's point of view). Board shoulder, well-toned chest and abs covered by a muscle shirt, long black coat with orange flame, and with all those things added together, it comes down to a hunk of a man! "…Is it just me or am I being think of, as you so wonderfully put it, eatable?"

The little girl blinks, before she turns her attention to the older girl that is near the point of drooling, and giggles before she latches onto the young man's hand. "Well brother, it seems no matter where you go, girls simply flock to you."

The blonde man shudders and seems to pale for some reason. "Don't remind me Alice. Fan girls are scary… One Radiant Garden experience is enough for me. Is it the cloth though?"

"Don't think so. Although I do prefer this outfit as oppose to any other you think up. It's much more… appreciated."

Damn… Hayner and Pence once more feel a blow to their masculinity.

"…I like orange…"

"You got orange." The girl hisses as she narrows her eyes at the man, who holds up his hands defensively. "No more orange… monstrosity. I'm limiting you to that piece of orange on your coat!"

"…Damn…" The man sigh in resignation, as if what she says goes (they don't know that she has the ability to make him do stuff).

That certain point of masculine confidence seems to be restored somewhat however when the blonde man slings a giant of a Keyblade onto his other shoulder, the one that is not being occupied by his sister hanging off of. After all, it seems that whoever wields the Keyblade is bound to get a scar or two… Wait, KEYBLADE?!

"Pence, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Hayner asks as he stares at the long Keyblade, longer than the one Sora has, and grins.

"I don't know… what are you thinking?" Pence asks as he to grin at the sight of the Keyblade. Sharing a look, the two teen's grin widen further as they see that indeed, they are thinking what the other is thinking. "It seems our last few days of school are going to be interesting…"

"Oh yes…" Olette mumbles as she grins dreamily, much to Hayner and Pence's annoyance and, for some odd reason, dread. "It will be very interesting…"

After all, what else can best start summer vacation than a hunk of a man simply appearing out of nowhere, right in front of you, and looking good enough to eat? He will need a guide to show him around town now won't he?

"…Alice, you deal with the girl, I'll handle the boys…"

"Oh, but brother, she doesn't look like she'll bite you, let alone eat you."

"…You never know. Now off you go."

"Alright, alright." The girl giggles at the seemly irrational fear her brother is expressing, before she turns her eyes onto Olette and smiles.

'…Oh poo…' Olette thinks while pouting as she watches the younger girl skips towards her, but not before waving at the door for it to disappear, while her hunk of a man approaches her boys. 'No fair…'

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

And so we put Radiant Garden behind us for a while, and we enter the world of Twilight Town. Applause, comment, whatever. Just don't bug me about pairings and love life. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I'm going to do certain things and what not.

Next, it seems I'm cooling down these few days. Maybe it's because the weather is actually cooling down too. So I might not update as quick any more. Remember, I'm sort of in a writer's heat, so I'm puking out updates like hell. But now I'm cooling down, not sure if that actually means better, more well thought-out plots or just procrastination setting in. Either way, not to worry, I'm not abandoning anyone.

As for some villains, you have seen some of them. Two of them are badasses and two of them are not-so-badasses. I'll let you choose who is who, because my opinion of them is already set. And for those worrying about the Nobodies becoming allies so that Sora and Co. won't have people to fight against, no worry there. They won't, just the Dancers will be somewhat attached to Naruto. There will be new types of Heartless and Nobodies though. I did introduce a mad scientist didn't I? So it won't do him justice to not include new things.

Finally, I already have a new world on schedule to come after. There might be another world in between this one and that one, or I might just go directly to it. I'm leaning more towards directly going towards the new world; probably will do the new world first. Need a Bridge to Neither the Light nor the Darkness.

Well, same thing with grammar/spelling. I checked. So enjoy.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: ROAR!!! DIE!! (Goes Chucky on anyone that asks for this) Well, at least it help avoid legal issues.

XXXXX The Station of Salvation XXXXX

Alice wonders if this is going to be something that'll become often or not, because to go to sleep and then opening her eyes to find herself on the glass platform with her surrogate brother on it and the nine circles around him for the second time is a little unsettling. Good dreams are never the same and only nightmares repeat themselves with as little deviation to the original as possible. So to reappear upon the same platform either means that it's a bad dream, or she's having one of those strange ones that seem to occur ever since Naruto shows up.

You know, strange bits of knowledge, pieces of stories, fragments of events, those.

Maybe it has something to do with her being a Princess of Hearts, though on that regard Alice hesitates on even speculating. One thing she is positive is that there is a force at work here that is trying to achieve something.

Although why does she 'wake up' upon her brother's platform instead of her own or anyone else's is a mystery to her. Well, whatever she has to do, let's get it over with.

"Well said!"

"EEK!" Turning around, Alice finds herself face to face with the woman from before… err, more like face to bosom. "MM!!"

"Oops, sorry." The woman says, although she doesn't sound very apologetic to Alice. Taking a step back while Alice jumps back as well, the woman blinks as she once more scrutinize the girl, making Alice rather uncomfortable. Who wouldn't when a pair of eerie red eyes stares at you? "My, this new look suits you much better."

"T-thanks… Although I would like it better if you will refrain from such vulgar act in the future." Alice says with a blush as she looks anywhere but at the woman. Alice is well taught, respectful, and well manner! She is not looking forward to doing… whatever it is the strange woman seems to like to do.

Said woman just snorts in amusement at the flustered girl, and mentally made a note to do it as often as possible when given the opportunity. Either way, what are they doing here again? "So, any idea what we're here?"

Ara? "Wait… you didn't call me here?" Alice asks hesitantly, and at the woman's negative shake of her head, the girl slumps in defeat and confusion. "Um… so what are we doing here?"

"Why are you asking me?" The woman returns with her own question as she tilts her chin high. "I don't even know what this place is."

_**Welcome… to the Station of Salvation…**_

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stare at the sleeping girl that has thus far followed him around while being his, almost literally, door to different worlds. He is grateful at her for moving him through worlds to sate his curiosity, though he still wished she had just stayed in her original world.

Well, crying over spilled milk never did anything now did it?

Putting that aside, the blonde shinobi instead went over his experience so far in Twilight Town. It's mostly enjoyable and rather comfortable if you take out the school girls that seem to trail him every now and then. Seriously, it's like they never saw a male before. Of course there is always the local trouble, and he is not talking about Heartless, seeing this town lacks any and all types of them.

Rather, they have Nobodies, different varieties as oppose to the Dancers he's already seem. Some are giant with large claymore that seems to have a will of its own, some are humanoid creatures with a large mouth that can be sealed with a zipper, and some are little tiny… things that can shift shape and become swords or birds or whatever they can come up with. The only trouble he has is with the giants, since they're tough, they're durable, and their claymores hurt like a bitch. How did he survive those again?

Oh right, Path of Redemption blocks the attacks, he was then knocked into a tree, a wall, or some other random obstacles in his way. You can imagine where the pain came from.

Still, they never seem to cause any trouble. They just float around in the forest or at the edge of the town that leads to the forest near by. That doesn't mean they didn't attack him whenever he is near enough. Apparently a lot of creatures hate Keyblades.

"What is in the forest?" Naruto mumbles as he shifts into a more comfortable position on the bed in the room that Olette had so graciously offered. The thing about it is that for some odd reason there are two beds in it. No one, not even the girl and her family know why they put two beds in it, but whatever. Don't question it, just accept it. Anyway, speaking of the forest, maybe he should ask one of the three (Hayner, Pence, Olette) to show him? For the few days that he had being here, he never left the city area.

And he really, really doesn't dare to venture out by himself. He knows that not every girl is affected with fangirlism, but he rather not take his chances. Teenage hormone imbalance and past experience dictates that he don't unless he is sure he won't be chased. How else did you think he survived Radiant Garden?

Still, there are still sometime before his gracious hostess's school lets out, and those hours are tortures. As a temporary solution, he has decided to simply stay by his surrogate baby sister's side and watch her sleep. He envies her in that she can sleep so peacefully, with no paranoia getting to her or twitching at the edge of blissful unconsciousness and complete awareness at every little tiny noise. But then, who else is there to keep her safe if he won't even wake up at the tiniest disturbance despite the fact that she has yet to be in need of such protection?

That brings up another issue: just when did he develop that over protectiveness anyway? He's almost turning into Tsunade at times (though he can understand why she did what she did). Well, at least it hasn't got to the point of scrutinizing every boys that even dare to lay eyes on her… No wait, he is already doing that.

Oh crap, it's already started…

Speaking of little sister, Olette seems to drop her fancy on him after getting to know him. "Simply not my type I suppose" was her reason behind it, and he accepts it. He's not into her, and she's not into him, end of story. To get to know a person really does change a lot of perspective you know? While impressions are important, they aren't everything. So instead of romantically involved (which he finds amusing in that the boy Hayner seems to relaxed around him), they develop one of those distant relative brother-sister type of bond, with him as the older brother, again. He really doesn't mind, since he finds the surrogate families he is once more putting together to be refreshing.

That reminds him of days back in Konoha, and whatever happen to the people that survived the war against Akatsuki…

No, mustn't think of that. Can't be homesick now, or he'll be side tracked from what was needed of him.

"_Think of this not as your destiny, but as a way to protect families and friends through out the worlds…"_ Master Yen Sid said to him on a private conversation during their stay in his castle, where the shinobi somehow found himself spilling everything, from his early life to the point where he gain the knowledge that what he holds in his hand partially dictates the fate of the universe. He spilled that he no longer felt a purpose in the world, that all he ever exist for is either dead or is in god knows where. He told of his reluctance to accept what seems to lie ahead of him. He practically shove into the master's face about his reluctance to even live right now, the only thing holding him back is the grief he _might_ cause to little Alice, and he uses that word very loosely because he knows she will be heart broken.

So in expression of his wisdom, the sorcerer has simply told him to accept it not as destiny, but as a new purpose. _"Buckle up, suck it in. Do not let your past suppress you, but rather accept them as a part of yourself and move on."_

Just like what that voice said: take it and move on.

And so he did. He took it upon himself to help if it can and starts on a new journey with Alice by his side or some other random friends or foes he may make in the future. He cares not, for he is always those that work best on their feet. So he'll take it one at a time when it comes at him.

…Perhaps he did need redemption from himself, just not the type that he thinks redemption entails.

Thus we are back to square one: what to do now? Investigate the forest is a must, seeing the number of Nobodies around it is rather alarming (at least to him). He also has to find that Bridge to Neither Light nor Darkness. Twilight town seems like a good enough place to start, a city in between light and darkness. Though he had practically searched every possible place in the town, and the only location he has yet to check are the forest and… well, just the forest it would seem.

"_Help will always come to you if you simply ask." Master Yen Sid says to Naruto and Alice during breakfast the day before they depart. The master has being imparting as much knowledge to the duo during their stay, particularly to Naruto, seeing he knows less than Alice in the working of the worlds. "Do not be hesitant to ask, even if it seems unlikely that it will come. It may not always come to your aid, but help may come from the place you least expected it to come from."_

Hmm… Well, might as well give it a try.

Standing up, Naruto walks toward his bed (…that reminds him, he is sharing a room with a girl… awkward much? He just notices that too… damn, he's dense…) so he is sure that there is at least some distance between him and Alice. Need to have some room for safety purposes after all.

Taking in a breath, Naruto slowly lets it out before he summons the Path of Redemption into his hands, not even surprised anymore when the sudden weight of the Keyblade settles into his hands. Naruto holds up the five foot weapon and points it at… something in the air. He is skeptical that it'll work, but then hey, what's there to lose and give it a try? You never know what will happen after all. The working of the universe is like that: things happen, and you won't be able to explain them all. So he'll try that approach, let things happen.

Sounds weird? Yeah, more like insane and completely nuts even for him. But whatever, never know until you try. Well, here goes nothing…

With a grunt, Naruto thrust the Keyblade forward, expecting to feel nothing. So imagine his surprise when Path of Redemption's head meet resistance in the form of a seemly invisible wall. **Fum… **Judging by the sound that emits from… something, it sounds like he had just summoned a door that either leads to somewhere or lets something out. That is as far as he dares to go, seeing that he doesn't know what it is he is poking at nor does he wish to accidentally unlock some kind of gate or seal leading to eternal darkness or the doom of the world.

…Note to self: don't point Keyblade at Kyuubi's seal even though it may not work.

…Wait… SUMMONING! Why oh why haven't he thought of that until now?! Someone kick him! Wait, no, don't kick him. Just push him into a wall or trip him so he falls down a flight of stairs. He prefers to receive injuries from random factor instead of having someone purposely aiming for… vital areas, and no, he is not talking about livers, hearts, lungs, and the like. Either way, back to summoning; it is time to give those damn frogs a call.

Grinning in excitement, Naruto dismisses his Keyblade, bites his thumb to allow some blood to flow, smears it into his palm, and form the necessary seal. Gathering just enough chakra for a small-size frog, Naruto slams in hand into his temporary bed's surface and grin as the familiar seal works and puff of smoke appears.

Yes, it works! …No, it didn't work?! "What the fuck?" Naruto grumbles out as he tries again, putting a little more chakra into it this time. There it is again, the seal works and the puff of smoke… NOTHING!? Not even one of those damnable tadpoles?! "…Shit…"

A mix between a moan and a groan from the other bed alerts him that Alice has woke up, be it by his doing or by natural means, he doesn't care. What he is still worrying about is why isn't it working?! "Mm… brother?" Let's see, he did the seal correctly, the chakra amount is fine, and he certain see the seals and puff of smoke… "Brother? What are you doing?" Okay, so maybe it's the amount of chakra? No, that's not right. He would at least get a damn tadpole in return… "Mm? Brother?"

That's when he feels the pull at his coat's sleeve, catching his attention to the half asleep girl that's trying to rube sleep from her half-lid eyes. Well, she looks adorable like that, with messy hair and innocent pout on her lips, but no time for that. Must work out issue with summoning! "Brother? Is something the matter?"

"Not now Alice." Naruto groans out as he went over anything and everything that could and would go wrong in a summoning. Area magnetic field? Residue energy of whatever kind that's affecting how thing work? Pissed off toads not wanting to answer summoning? Drunk toads? Sleeping toads? Um… horny toads? …How do they get horny anyway? They barely wear any damn cloth… Although they have to be horny one point or another right? Look at the amount of children they have!

"Brother?"

Could it possibly be that the summoning contract was destroyed somehow? Is it possible that the link between summoner and summons was destroyed? Could it be that-! Wait… room shouldn't be tilting this way… and he certainly shouldn't be falling face first into the bed… "Oof… Alice…"

"Mm… comfy…" The girl mumbles sleepily as she practically made Naruto into a teddy bear, lying on his back having force him to fall forward by a glomp tackle that she wasn't sure how she pulled off… Whatever… so comfy…

The slowing of breathing rate and the fact that Alice has become nothing but dead weight tells the shinobi all he needs to know… She had fallen back to dream land… on his back…

God damn randomness and sleepy princesses!

XXXXXXXXXX

Off in another world, the ex-sleeping beauty (being that she has long awakened) Aurora sneezed before looking around in confusion.

"…Why do I have the feeling someone speaks ill of me behind my back?"

XXXXXXXXXX

That is the scene Olette finds them in an hour or two, as she quickly rushes home seeing that school lets out early, being the last day and all before break. Still, when she searches for her two guests, she finds the older face down in the bed, mumbling about one thing or another and the younger lying on top of him, in her cute nightwear, snoring away with a dreamy smile on her face… She has a good idea what happen, because she had experienced first hand just how hard the girl can glomp someone. Though it still surprises her how a little girl like Alice can sleep so much. She is usually so full of energy.

Now where is that stupid camera? It's just too cute to past on!

After finding the camera and taking a few snap shots, Olette finally decides that she might as well liberate the blonde man from the position. With gentle shakes, Olette stirs Alice from her sleep awhile whispering into her ears about being time to wake up. The younger blonde mumbles incoherently as she sits up and rubs her eyes to be rid of any sleep still trapped there. Olette could swear that she heard something about a pillow and teddy bear though.

"Mm… Miss Olette? What time is it?" Alice asks, still half asleep as she takes in the older girl's uniform. It's probably still early…

"It's past 12 silly. Wake up now. I'm sure Naruto would like to get up too." Olette says teasingly, all the while offering a small smile at how the girl blinks in confusion. So with one finger, Olette points to Alice's 'pillow' and says, "I'm sure your brother would like to get up."

"Hmm? EEK!" Alice mumbles before shrieking at the fact that her "pillow" just grumbles and moved! Pillows don't grumble and they don't move! Looking down, Alice finds herself sitting on Naruto, who is buried face down in the bed sheet. How she stays on his back, she isn't sure because she isn't that small and he isn't that big… WAIT! "AH! B-B-B-BROTHER!"

"Gerroff…" The older blonde mumbles as he turns his head just enough to glare with one blue eye. Alice quickly scrambles off him, tripping and tumbling over herself and nearly falling off the bed in the process. Once she is completely off, Naruto slowly stands up, groaning as he stretches out the kinks in his back, causing several pops that make Olette and Alice flinch. It seems he has being there longer than both thought… "Damn… Next time, I'm tossing you off."

The girl has the decency to blush at least. "S-sorry…"

"Still, now that that's taken care off, what are you doing back so early Olette? Not that I'm complaining really." Naruto says the last part with another glare at Alice, who covers her face in embarrassment and squeaks out another apology. Deciding he'll let her suffer a little more, Naruto turns to Olette once more for the explanation. "Well?"

"Oh, it's the last day of school before break." The girl says simply with a smile. The brightness of that smile alone tells Naruto all he needs to know. "So, what do you want to do this afternoon?"

Hmm… "What is in the forest near the town?"

"Oh, you mean that forest?" Olette asks as she points to a general direction. When Naruto nods, the brunette pokes her chin in thoughts before nodding, coming to a decision. "Well, there is an old mansion in the forest. We, as in Hayner, Pence, and me went there last summer with Sora. It's old, but kept in relative good shape, and has sign that people lived it in before we… um… barged in…"

Oh? And old mansion? The amount of Nobodies around that area is surprising, and the fact that this Sora person is involved in someway simply raises his curiosity about it even more. Now he HAS to pay it a visit. "Do you mind taking me there?"

That seems to perk Olette's interest as well.

XXXXXXXXXX

After Olette gathered Hayner and Pence, and Naruto finally lets Alice off the hook (after much begging and apologizing on her part), the group of five sets out for the old mansion that stands in the forest near Twilight Town. Through out the entire trip, Naruto keep expecting for Nobodies to jump out and attack them, so he kept his guards up.

But the Nobodies seem to shy away from them. It's strange how they attack him with vigor but shy away from a group.

Within about fifteen to twenty minutes of walking, the small group arrived at the mansion, and Naruto whistle in appreciation in that indeed, it is old, but well kept. The gate is old fashion, tall and double metal doors surrounded by brick walls that lead to a small walk way. The entrance of the mansion is some kind of heavy wood, and right above that is a large window covered by white curtain.

Now the only obstacle being in the way is a long chain with a pad lock that locks the metal gates in place. No problem though, as a simple taps of Path of Redemption solves it.

It is when the group ventures into the mansion that their eyes all but pop out of their sockets.

The interior is… well, trashed. Broken pieces of glass here and there, the glass door near the end is smashed into bits, with wood chips and wood blocks from broken stair rails and furniture litter the floor. It's messy to say the least…

"…It seems someone was angry…" Alice says, and the other four turn to look at her with raised eye brows. "Um, it's just a feeling. Someone isn't happy about something the last time he or she was here…" Well, at least that's one possibility as to what happen to the mansion. Actually, to Naruto's well trained eyes, the subtle slash marks and dent hinted at a battle rather than someone throwing a temper tantrum. Besides, temper tantrum don't leaves burn marks and frost bitten places behind. However, there is ONE place that the battle didn't reach, and that's the top left room on the second floor, which Naruto rightfully guess leads to the large window with the white curtain. "So… what are we looking for exactly?" Alice's innocent question snapped the shinobi out of his thoughts, and turning to regard her, he sees four pairs of curious eyes staring back at him.

Scratching his chin, Naruto tilts his head as he survey the place before nodding to himself, and says, "Just spread out and look for anything… suspicious I suppose. Oh, and check the courtyard leading by that broken class door there." Naruto nods once more to his decision and is about to turn and go to the least damaged place when Pence opening his mouth stops him. "No question, just go."

The plump boy click his mouth shut, and he, Hayner, and Olette share a knowing look before shrugging and head for the courtyard. Never being there before, so might as well take this opportunity to explore it. Little Alice looks around before he heads for the only other door on the first floor and enters it. So when Naruto reaches the door to the room with the large glass window (through walking mind you. No need to freak people out now) he is the only one left in the reception hall.

Shrugging at how fast they all disappears into their respective search place, Naruto's hand grasps the handle to the door that has little to no damage on it, and opens it. What greets him is a white, VERY white room full of drawing done in crayon. Some are on the floor, some are on the lone long table in the room, and some are taped or stuck to the wall through some mean. The only place that's not obscured by pictures is the white curtain of the large window that peers out at the front entrance. Nothing special about the window he decides, so he turns his attention to the drawing.

Most of them are about that Sora person, from a boy of measly 13 or 14 years old to that of 15 years old to soon-to-be 16 boy of the same person. Some of them are of him with two strange creatures resembling a duck and a dog. Some are of people in strange black coats with hood pull up so the face is completely in shadow. Some are of the red haired girl with laughing blue eyes. There is one of Sora holding hands with another boy that's blonde and in that strange black coat. That one stands out amongst the sea of pictures.

Otherwise, there really is nothing special about this room… though he feels like he isn't done here. Blasted instinct, can't live with them, but can't live without them. That's why with a sigh, Naruto turns his attention to the table littered with pictures and starts to softly shift through them. He feels disrespectful to whoever drew those if he damages them.

After looking through them one by one and finding nothing but similar stuff on the wall and on the floor, Naruto is about to give up when a small stack at a corner of the room caught his eyes. "Now why would whoever did these hide that stack there?" Hide being the correct wording because it's face down, looking like blank paper and stacked neatly against the corner, making the stack as inconspicuous as possible. Shinobi training demands he looks at them, his curiosity hungers to look at them, and not one to deny who he wants, Naruto walks over (carefully so he didn't step on any pictures on the floor) and picks up the stack, and then he seems to black out.

XXXXXXXXXX

_He regain consciousness in the same white room, except with not as much picture as the one he just, um, left, and there, at the table, sits a girl of 15, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and in a white one piece dress that is a bit short in his opinion. She looks familiar though… almost as if she's… related to that red hair girl from his dream?_

"_I've wanted to meet you…" The girl spokes with an even voice, showing a tight control on her emotion and herself, and Naruto almost points at himself when movement at the other side of the room catches his attention. "…Xion…"_

_There, on the opposite side of the table stands a girl of about equal age, maybe a little younger, with raven black hair that barely goes past her neck and the same blue eyes as the blonde and wearing the same black coat… She looks IDENTICAL to the red hair in his dream._

"_What the fuck?!" Naruto blurs out and the room fades into darkness before reforming into one of those glass platforms once more. "…Aw damn…"_

_This time, he finds himself standing on top of one that shows the red hair teen from his dream, in a formal dress, with six circles around her. One is that Sora boy, the other is an older boy with long silver hair and aqua eyes. One is of that overgrown duck and the one opposite of that is the overgrown dog. The one directly above her head is of an overgrown mouse. The one directly under her feet is that blonde girl that LOOKS like her. "Well, this just gets weirder and weirder…"_

"_AH! YOU!!" A shout from behind him (he turned around to examine all the circles), and Naruto quickly turns around and summons Path of Redemption into his hand. Imagine his surprise to see that red hair staring back at him with wide eyes and pointing an accusing finger at him. "WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN ALICE?! AND WHY ARE YOU WIELDING A KEYBLADE?!" Okay… she's angry and afraid at the same time, lucky him… At least he doesn't need to fear getting beat up by some unknown._

_Just then, the girl stumbles forward, and the same blonde one steps literally OUT of her, and starts approaching him. "N-N-NAMINÉ? How did you get out? What are you doing? Where are you going?!"_

_Naruto, also bewildered and confused, remain in his stance and gazing at the approaching girl with wide eyes. Their eyes meet, and the girl smiles softly, somehow letting him know nothing will happen thus loosening his guard._

…_It's almost the same thing that Alice can do, except in smaller dose._

"_Are you going to free her?" The girl, Naminé asks as she is only two feet in front of Naruto. The abrupt and random question catches him off guard that he nearly looses his balance._

"_Eh? Naminé, what are you doing?" The red hair girl rushes over to her and gets in front of her, as if shielding the blonde from attack. Seriously though, it's pretty pointless considering he was trained to kill in so many ways without touching whatever obstacle is in front of the target. "H-he kidnapped Alice!"_

…_Oh, so that's why she's so hostile… So that must mean Penelope is really, REALLY pissed. Though it appears she had done him justice in describing him. He wishes she hadn't._

_Still ignoring her counter part, Naminé gently shush the girl before turning her blue eyes back onto Naruto. She has to look up, being that he is pretty tall and all. It reminds her of some of the taller Organization members. "Are you going to free her?"_

"_Free who?" Naruto asks as he shifts his weight. The male blonde rests his Keyblade against his shoulder and raises an eyebrow when the female blonde just smiles knowingly._

"_Why, Xion of course…" Naminé says before she reaches forward and touches Naruto's head. "Hmm…how curious. I can't fiddle with your memories… That just mean you're not associated with Sora. Not yet at least. It would make it easier to tell you want I mean if you 'see' it for yourself."_

"_Naminé, what are you doing?" The red hair hisses as she latches onto Naminé's arm and tries to drag her away._

"_Oh lighten up Kairi. He won't hurt us. He can do that a long time ago." Naminé says with a roll of her eyes before she points to the Keyblade resting on Naruto's shoulder. "Beside, that looks like it can cleave through you AND me at the same time." That's probably the wrong thing to say, because her counter part –Kairi was it?- seems only more determined to drag her away after that._

"_Alright… this is getting annoying." Naruto says followed by a groan as he steps towards Kairi, who panics and starts to drag even harder. "I'm not going to do ANYTHING! And I DIDN'T kidnap Alice. SHE followed ME!" Oh good, that stops her from running for the moment. "Good, now can we please continue what we're talking about?"_

"_Oh alright. But we already finished." Naminé says with another knowing smile. "I just want to know if you are going to free Xion."_

"…_I'll see what I do if it comes…"_

"_Then that's all I can get, I suppose." The female blonde says with a sigh and a reluctant smile before she glows, and vanishes. But Kairi stumbles a little, at the sudden lost of support of something else Naruto isn't sure._

"…_What just happened?" Kairi asks with wide eyes before they snap to Naruto and widen even further. "EEK! Y-you! I know self defense, and I am NOT afraid to use them!"_

"…_I REALLY, REALLY am not going to hurt you… God damn, I'm not that scary am I?"_

"_**Brother? Brother? Are you alright? Answer me!!**__"_

"_Huh? Alice?" Kairi gasps when she hears Naruto's respond to the voice stares into the endless darkness around them._

"_What in the name of Kingdom Hearts is going on!?!?" The girl demands as she turns angry eyes once more onto Naruto, who just sighs and shrug._

_He likes to know too you know…? __**Click…**__ Fuck…_

_And like before, a switch is turned off and everything went black._

XXXXXXXXXX

The sight that greets him is of Alice all but leaning into him while shaking him with more force than needed… Just when did he fell onto the ground? Last he remember is taking up the stack of paper… oh… wait… hmm… "B-BROTHER! Are you alright?"

"Alice…" Naruto says, seizing further shaking and panicking from the girl, which he is thankful because for some reason his head is throbbing. "Does the name Kairi means anything to you?"

The way Alice's eyes widen with surprise and recognition told him all he needs.

XXXXX Yen Sid's Castle XXXXX

The moment Mickey sets foot into his master's castle, he knows that Yen Sid is expecting him. What he isn't expecting is the Dancer that practically drags him into Yen Sid's study. So here he is, still somewhat stunned by his rather unusual trip-by-Dancer, standing in his master's study looking idiotic while his master scribble away at a tome. Mickey also notice that Yen Sid's desk is full of charts, diagram, notes, reports, and other stuff one expects to see on a busy researcher's desk. Though what is he researching this time?

"Mickey, take a sit. I will be with you in a moment." Yen Sid commands as a large chair materialize in front of his desk. Having the rule long drilled into his head, Mickey quickly scrambles into the chair and wait, all the while playing with his thumbs. He may not have seen his master in a while, but Yen Sid is still as intimidating to him as the day he left the sorcerer's care.

After about a minute or two of silence filled only with the scribbling of quill on parchment, Yen Sid finally puts the quill into the ink will next to the tome and gently blows on the pages to help them dry. Satisfied with his work, the sorcerer close the tome gently before pushing it to the side for the moment, and turn his eyes onto the fidgeting King. "Mickey, it's good to see you again."

"Like wise, master." The King replies nervously before he shifts in the chair… again. "Um, not to be rude or anything, but is it possible that we get down to business? Your letter sounded most urgent."

"Oh yes, the letter." The sorcerer says as he strokes his beard and gaze at Mickey, trying to find where he should start with the whole affair. "…Tell me, do you keep an eye on the Princesses of Hearts?"

Mickey blinks at the sudden question before nodding his head for positive before something else pops into his head. "Master Yen Sid, are you aware that Alice is missing?"

Several things happen at that moment. First of all, Master Yen Sid smiles knowingly as his eyes gain a light that Mickey finds a little unsettling. Second, a book materializes on the desk and turn towards Mickey. And lastly, a Dancer Nobody glides into the room with a tray of tea and little snacks, sets it on the table, and disappears in a Corridor of Darkness. All of these leave Mickey bewildered and speechless. It seems things are more bizarre than he thinks… or that the enemy has already gotten to his master…

Speaking of which… the sorcerer takes a sip from the cup of tea he has poured himself and sigh in content. "Ah yes, nothing beats a cup of well-brewed tea. The Dancers are nice enough to put up with an old man's demand for tea at least. But I suppose that's the least they can do, having taken to my castle uninvited and all." Yen Sid says pleasantly before offering a cup to Mickey, who just accepts numbly, still confused and speechless. "Now where were we? Oh yes, little Alice… You see Mickey, there has being a… interesting discovery lately."

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

Not the best I can do… but… um… anyway!

First, yes, I'm going to include Xion, and I don't care what the video game might say or won't say, I'm doing her my way. She's basically an open book right now, and I am not even going to conform to the game even if I DID play it (which I won't, lacking a DS and all that). She's cute, innocent, and gush cuteness, and can use a Keyblade, and did I mention she's cute? So I'm doing stuff on her my way. End of story XD!

And before you people even decides to ask, yes, I am going to bring back people. Roxas and Naminé are two given. The rest is entirely up to me. Although I believe Xemnas will make an appearance in the future. He's one of those badasses that make some impression.

Next, Twilight town is going to extend for another chapter or two, so don't worry about me skipping through worlds like crazy. So far, I can't really do much with Radiant Garden or Twilight Town being that they're all pretty much safe. The only thing that Twilight Town has that Radiant Garden doesn't is that portal leading to the World That Never Was in the virtue Twilight Town in the mansion's hidden basement.

Oh, and about Kairi's seemly OOCness, what would YOU do when you find yourself in unknown place; with a person that not only kidnapped someone you know, but also towers over you and holds a MONSTROUS weapon in his hand that looks mean enough to slice you in half with one go? Now add in random factor that further increase your weariness, and you have yourself an unstable person. So no complaining about that, or I'll let loose… what will I let loose to bite you readers' asses?

Eh, either way, enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Why oh why do I own nothing but the plotline?

XXXXXXXXXX

In the entire universe, there are seven Princesses of Hearts.

Not six, not eight, not the holy three or the unlucky thirteen, but seven. Snow White, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Alice, and Kairi; seven women and girls that all but held the fate of the universe in their hands, for when they gather, a special Keyblade with the ability to open the door to Kingdom Hearts can then be obtained. When Kingdom Hearts is opened, unimaginable power is unleashed, and whoever absorb the power can either make or break the universe.

It had been done almost two years ago, but it was sealed once more before devastation can be dealt on the unsuspecting worlds. A fake Kingdom Hearts was created several months ago, but was destroyed. The real Kingdom Hearts lies somewhere in the realm, closed and locked with all its power held behind those doors. Thus far, no one except Maleficent had tried to open the door, and the evil witch has yet to make a move since the last time Alice saw her –well, as far as Alice knew anyway.

That is what Naruto learned when he question Alice about Kairi, and that is what causes him to see his surrogate sister in a new light. Who knew such girl has such important impact on the world? He knows from Yen Sid that Alice is a Princess of Hearts, but he doesn't know the significance behind it.

…Damn, it seems his life will be more complicated in the future.

Still, adding to that, the unsuccessful search of the mansion for anything suspicious ended up as a failure. There is NOTHING but broken and eroded furniture. Nothing. He is not going to check the library, because there is no way anyone can hide a secret passage there. It's right next to the blasted front yard! It's practically on the front yard!

So nope, not possible at all!

All of that searching and brooding over wasted time and effort is three days ago. That means today is the second day of Twilight Town's summer break. So far, Naruto is getting more and more restless by the hours once more. Not even those Nobodies can keep his mood up!

So that means doing something he rarely does: brood. He brooded, he broods, and he'll brood some more in the future. Brooding is not good for his mental health, because to brood means remembering all those horrible events before his last known show down with Madara. So no brooding for him, and he even specifically asks everyone he knows that if they see him brood, punch him in the jaw, hard.

Hayner did it at least five times, and he seems to enjoy it a lot. Pence did it thrice. Olette did it twice, one harder than the other –though he suspects it's more because of her strange mood swings lately. Even little Alice slapped him once because, in her words, "You pout too much. Stop pouting or I'll sit on you!" Not much of a threat, but he doesn't want to be see as a child molester if possible. He is already a "kidnapper," so no need to add fuel to the fire right?

…Right? Or is the universe that cruel to one of its champion?

Anyway, the day after that, he tried a different tactic to keep himself occupied: he drew seals. He drew all kinds of seals: explosive, flash, concussive, storage, notice-me-not, camouflage, head-looks-larger-than-normal, bobble-head, I-see-dead-people, all-who-walk-past-this-will-have-their-pants-mysteriously-panted, I-am-wearing-a-bikini (nasty results…), I-am-fat (…traumatizing), I-shall-laugh-nonstop (um… dangerous, so he scraped that), I-smell-like-crap, and so on and so forth.

Bored Naruto is not a good Naruto, and Alice knows that first hand. So after some rather disasterous pranks on the natives, she forced him into the forest. After several large and unknown explosion/earthquake/flash/girly screams/destroyed tree/police reports of suspicious terrorism, Alice gave up, and ordered him (yes, not ask, request, or beg, but ORDER) to stay put or so god help her-! Now that's a threat, although Naruto is tempted to see what she'll do… But temptation only lasted for about five seconds because that demonic glare should not be on little girl's face.

So here we are, with Uzumaki Naruto bored out of his mind and very restless, sitting on the Bell Tower and sucking on a sea-salt ice cream (wonderful thing… but never as good as RAMEN!!). He can't do anything at all. No action, no tricks, no pranks, no drawing seals, no Nobodies or Heartless to bust up, no nothing!! Dear god, kill him now!

**Plop!** …Kill him, not nearly drop a wad of bird dropping on him. Either way…

"I'M SO BORED!!!" The shinobi screams, and he shoves as much frustration into it as he can, which is a sizable amount.

Somebody come and liberate him from his… nightmare! If they don't 'liberate' him, they might have a potential homicidal maniac on their hands. And said homicidal manic has the power of a very strong demon at his disposal AND the legendary Keyblade. Those two things coming together means a very dangerous homicidal manic, with the only thing holding him back being a little girl in her 12 or 13 years of life… Well, that sounds correct.

But is Naruto a homicidal manic? No he isn't, even though at times he wished he can just slaughter a village full of people for their stupidity… Hmm, nope, he didn't, so scratch that part out. Maybe prank the shit out of them, but never actually the need to kill anyone. Except Akatsuki, they're just asking for it really.

Naruto is about to continue on his mental rant when a stick of blue-colored ice cream is all but shoved into his face. Blinking, he turns around to see Hayner already sucking on his own. That's strange, Olette and Pence is no where in sight. "Hayner? What are you doing up here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." The boy groans out around his ice cream before waving the offered one once more. "You want that?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, the ice cream. Sure, it's free." Naruto says before he grabs the sea-salt ice cream it, toss away the already finished one, and starts to suck on the new one. Hayner meanwhile place himself next to Naruto (the side without the bird crap mind you), and a comfortable silence settles over the two. The two blondes observe the hustle and bustle of the city below them, both lost in their own thoughts.

After several more minutes, Naruto decides to sate his curiosity; it's never one of his strong points after all. "So, why aren't you with Olette and Pence?" The shinobi asks as he studies his half eaten ice cream. "You three are pretty close."

"Olette drags your sister to do some shopping…" was the simple answer that Hayner provides. Oddly enough, there is a strange blush on his face.

"Huh? What does that have to do with… oh… OH…" Naruto says then pauses as some possibilities enter his mind. From his own personal observation and experiences, girls only drag other girls to shop for either clothing, gifts for their boyfriends, help with grocery shopping, or the more… private matters. Wonder which of the four it is? But judging by the blush on Hayner's face, he has a good idea. "So then where's Pence?"

"…He wasn't fast enough…" Hayner says, and the two males lower their head to give their comrade a moment of silence. Oh god, the horror he must be suffering… "So what are you doing up here Naruto?"

"Hey, I'm not hiding from them if that's what you're thinking." Naruto snaps back at the accusing expression on Hayner's face. He is not a coward. He cowers before angry women that are out for blood (especially if it's his blood), yes, but who doesn't? "I'm just up here to think. I can't do anything."

Hayner sniggers at the older blonde's predicament, and couldn't resist the temptation and says, "Well, you brought it upon yourself. I was certain your sister would slaughter you." The boy unconsciously lets a shiver runs down his spine. Seriously, that demonic look should not be in a girl's eyes… "Although how did you make everyone's close change into bikini is still a mystery to me."

"It's seals. One of those I created when my late teacher left me for… pleasures. I invented it as a way to get back at him." Naruto explains before shuddering as his face gain a rather horrified look. "It kind of back fired, because what he sees, I see too. It's an area of effect, and the place I set it off happens to be a place more populated by men… old men." Hayner pales also at the mental image that conjured up, and he is sure that whatever he imagined is nowhere near the level that Naruto has seen. "Anyway, I'm not a master at it; far from one actually, but I have the fundamental knowledge needed to create some elaborate seals if I want to. Still, back on topic; I'm mostly up here to think. I finds it comforting to be at high places to think; maybe the wind sooth me, I don't know. Besides, I like people-watching."

"…Ah…" Again, a silence falls between the two, and for Naruto, he can tell that it's more comfortable for him than for Hayner. The younger one seems to want to ask him about something. He won't press though; because that'll just ruin whatever courage the boy has mustered up to confront him in private. And he won't bite him… unless it's about Alice. If he wants to date Alice, he swears to god Hayner needs to have a one-on-one with him and last for at least five minutes! If not, then it's all good. "Hey, Naruto…?"

Oh, here it comes. "Yes?"

"…W-what do you think o-of… um… Olette?" The last part is mumbled out so low that Naruto has a strain a little to even catch the name. It seems the boy is interested in the brunette.

"And why do you want to know?" Naruto drones out as he finishes the last bit of his ice cream and sets the stick to the side for later disposal. "You know her longer than I do you know? So what does it matter about what I think of her?"

"Well, t-true…" Hayner says as he starts to fidget with his fingers. It's such a strange site, since the boy is usually so full of energy and hot tempered, to see him squirm is rather strange. "I j-just want your op-opinion on her. That's all."

"…You want to date her." It's blunt, but it gets the message across. The fact that Hayner stiffens and sits up straighter just proves that Naruto's hypothesis is correct. "Well, why are you asking me? I'm not her parent or her older brother, so whether you date her or not is not my decision right?" The shinobi says as he adjusts his weight a little as to get the blood flowing again. Sitting in one spot for too long really isn't good for you. "You should just go ask her parents."

"Yeah, well. For some reason, I just feel like asking you…" Hayner confesses as he rubs his neck in embarrassment. It's really strange how the first person he comes to is Naruto. Now that he thought about it, he really should have gone to her parents. "Maybe it's because if I can take to you, I can talk to them?"

"…Am I really that scary?" Naruto asks with a blank look. Hayner nods his head positive, much to Naruto's chagrin and ire. But then he thinks of something and grins predatory. "Well, I guess that just works on my advantage."

"I get the feeling Alice is not going to be seeing any body any time soon." Hayner says with a sigh as he listens to Naruto crackles like a maniac. He wonders if the little girl will ever get to date at all. "Well, we should get down. I think they're about finished."

Nodding his agreement, Naruto and Hayner slowly make their way down to ground level. There is no need to rush after all.

But it appears he's wrong about not needing to rush. For one, there are screams that tore through the Tram Common. For another, there are the familiar black bubbles that Naruto is use to see whenever a Heartless pops out. And lastly, he can see a certain blonde head and two brunette being in the center of that massive blur of Heartless.

So without much thought about consequences or the like, Naruto crouches low, and leaps, never taking into account Hayner's shout of fright nor the fact that the ground is approaching at alarming rate. 'Screw consequences,' Naruto thinks as he quickly summons Path of Redemption into his hand, 'no one messes with my precious people with me around!'

XXXXXXXXXX

Alice had long since notice that she is sensitive to darkness. She can tell the darkness in people easily and can judge the amount of it they have. For example, she knows that the red hair woman is completely dark and her surrogate brother is probably half darkness, though at times his darkness increases when he broods.

Alice can feel the overwhelming darkness that Heatless emits and the seemly empty void that Nobodies have. She can feel the darkness surrounding certain area as well as the lack of it at some places. She can tell them all.

So when an overwhelming darkness suddenly descended upon the area where Pence, Olette, and she were shopping, she knew immediately that something is wrong. So when a Heartless jumped out of a shadow at her, Alice wasn't too surprised, but that didn't mean she wasn't frightened.

Acting more on reflex than thoughts, Alice bats the Heartless away with her shopping bag. It worked, to some extent, seeing the Heartless is stirred off course, but other wise it doesn't look harmed. Then as if some silent signal was fired off, Heartless start to jump out in groups around them.

The civilians quickly fled the vicinity, screaming and flailing their arms, shoving and pushing each other to be the first to escape from the unknown threat. The Heartless though doesn't seem interested in them, rather they are staring motionless at Alice, and Alice alone. Olette and Pence have long since taken up a sort of defensive semi-circle around the younger girl, both brandishing shopping bags as threatening as they can be.

"This looks really bad…" Pence says as he shifts nervously from one foot to the other. It's bad enough to be dragged shopping by the girls, but it seems fate hates him and decided to dump Heartless onto them… He thinks they are Heartless, having never seen them before. The town is infested by Nobodies, but never had he seen a Heartless here. "So these are Heartless?"

"Yes… although they look different…" Alice responses and then declares a little nervously. "They're bigger…"

"You mean they aren't always this size?" Olette remarks and shifts a little more into the circle the trio has formed.

"No…" Alice says as she observes the Heartless once more. They look like Shadows, but way bigger than Neo Shadows. Also, the Heartless Emblem on their chest signals that they were made if Aerith's lesson is to be taken to heart. These are about an average man's height, with clearly defined muscular body and mean looking claws. The antennas on their head arch behind their head, dropping almost to the knees. One more thing that Alice notice is that they have pointy ears; defined pointy ears. "…Who ever made them really made them after humans…"

"They were MADE?!" Olette and Pence exclaim in shock at the idea that SOMEONE willingly created these things. It seems there are a lot of things they don't know about the universe or the forces behind it.

"INCOMING!" A shout rang through the Tram Common, and without much thinking, Alice, Pence, and Olette quickly flatten themselves onto the ground, just in time too as Path of Redemption tore through the air where their neck (or head in Alice's case) would be and into the enemy rank.

The long Keyblade arch up into the air before coming back for a round trip. The Heartless quickly scatter out of its way, now aware of its existence as it fly through the air and into a blonde man's hand.

Said blonde man has just landed right in the middle of the trio in a crouch, and the pavement under him is slightly cracked due to the force with which he landed. Alice risks raising her head up, and a beaming smile appears on her face when she sees who have comes to their rescue.

Naruto has arrived.

XXXXXXXXXX

'Err… right, now what…?' Naruto questions himself as his cerulean eyes scan the Heartless. They certainly are large, and smarter if the way they avoid the Keyblade is any indication. The other ones such as Neo Shadow would just jump back in, assuming the Keyblade won't return. These ones kept their eyes on Path of Redemption the whole time while keeping another on their target… What is their target anyway?

Just then, one of the Heartless darts in for a blow. Its speed is surprisingly fast, and Naruto barely avoids its claw by leaning backward. A little late and he'll be learning just how much those hurt. With a grunt, the shinobi quickly dispatch the Heartless by cleaving it in half by the waist. Then using the momentum, he spins around and cuts into another that tries to jump him from behind. It is then that his eyes notice the trio is still there. "What the… GET OUT OF HERE YOU THREE!"

"R-right!" Alice says as she quickly jumps onto her feet and starts to drag the other two away, half tumbling and half tripping over themselves in their hurry to avoid danger. This seems to be the signal, for as Alice finishes her word, all the Heartless jump into action, dashing, leaping, sliding, all aiming for the Keybearer that is deemed as the most threat at the moment.

They also can't deny the satisfaction that will follow if they manage to destroy a Keybearer's heart.

Naruto curses under his breath as he also blurs into motion, cutting down Heartless one by one while also batting away any that he can't seem to get. However, the pace at which the Heartless meet their end is rather slow, a lot slower than he likes. These are really agile it appears, and smarter by a larger margin when compared to the older version of Shadows and Neo Shadows. They would duck and dodge as much as they can, and never more than five engage him at a time, giving themselves more room to work with instead of the ones before, where they may even trip over each other in their haste to gut the Keybearer. They really make the Heartless in Radiant Garden look tame.

After several minutes of what seems like an endless battle royal, Naruto wonders if the horde will ever end! Not group, not mob, but horde! It's that many! It is also annoying how they keep spawning at a seemly endless rate, or maybe it's just his imagination? After all, when one fell, another takes its place, so maybe that's why it felt endless? Bah, putting those thoughts out of his head, Naruto continues to wreck up damage on the assembly of Heartless, be it by Keyblade or by his shurikens -made of strange energies and from his magical gloves of course. He will bash them, cut them, kick them, punch them, and if pushes come to shoves, he'll bite their freaking legs off if that's what it takes! And if that doesn't work, he will smoke them to death with fart!

Round-housing another Heartless in the head while Path of Redemption makes itself snug in the chest of another, Naruto snares as he feels another's claws rack across his back. The shinobi growls as he forms a Rasengan and slams it into the offending Heartless before smiling in satisfaction at the path of destruction the spinning ball of chakra carves out of the Heartless force. The victory is short lived however, as more Heartless take the place of the fallen.

Right, it's about time to even the odds. Forming a very familiar seal, Naruto shouts "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" as he forms a squadron of about thirty clones, each of them holding a replica of Path of Redemption in their hands. He grins in the assumption that he'll make things easier now, but that's where he made a mistake: he assumes. Naruto's grin fell as in a span of 3 seconds, half of his clones were destroyed, and the smoke from them only obscure his view instead of giving him the cover that he hopes to get. How do you detect Shadows in shadows, and that is when you can barely make out your own shadow at the same time? The simple truth is you DON'T, as Naruto quickly learn when several more claws make their ways across different areas of his body.

Grunting in pain, the shinobi then becomes aware of something disturbing due to the multiple contacts at once. They are emitting a rather familiar energy… Whatever, he'll ponder about that later, but first, eradication of Heartless. So with a heave, Naruto jumps high into the air, and starts making hand seals. Forget Shadow Clones, seeing they just get in the way as he watch the remaining four take out a few Heartless before they too were overwhelmed. So he will try one that was a favorite of his late rival; a personal favorite in fact. "KATON: GOUKAKYUU NO JUTSU!"

The size of the fireball that spews out from his mouth would make any Uchiha proud… if any were alive (he hopes none is now). The giant fire ball bombards the Heartless, scattering them or crushing them under the force of its explosion… Speaking of which, he is not paying for the crater that forms from his attack.

The shinobi lands onto his feet before quickly jumping to the side in reflex. A Heartless's claw sinks into the spot he stands on a second ago, and he thanks shinobi instinct and reflex, or that would have been his head. Now about that head; a swing of Path of Redemption and the Heartless is now headless, and in a moment, formless as a pink heart floats into the sky. The blonde then quickly rolls to the side once more as another of those new Shadows pounce him. It met the same fate as its brethren in a matter of seconds, but that doesn't mean he is winning. It feels rather far from it actually.

Wanting to try a different tactic, Naruto tosses Path of Redemption forward like a giant shuriken, and then quickly gather wind chakra on his hands and feet. He lets out a battle cry, before he dives into the horde of Heartless, punching and kicking his way through them, only stopping long enough to send Path of Redemption into another direction the moment it returns into his hand. The punching and kicking damages the Heartless; destroying some as he becomes nothing but a whirlwind of attacks. Uzumaki Naruto indeed, as it seems he if currently living up to his name's sake… No, not fishcakes damn it!

Still, it seems the fireball didn't do as much damage as it should… "Damn, these ones are tough…" Naruto observes as he throws himself against the remaining horde of Heartless that surrounds him. Although he is currently using the word 'remaining' very, very loosely, because they just seem to keep appearing! And guess what? His instinct tells him this is just the beginning of a whole new level of trouble.

Speaking of trouble… "Where the fuck did Alice go?" Naruto roars in frustration and concern as he tears the head of a Heartless clear off, before he kicks Path of Redemption and sends the Keyblade flying off into another direction. He hopes she is alright, because he is not getting out of this battle anytime soon.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Maybe we shouldn't have come this way…" Alice mumbles to herself as she, Olette, and Pence slowly back up against the old mansion's Iron Gate. In front of them are several Nobodies, mostly Dusks, slowly stalking toward them. Well, more like slides… or glides… or whatever Nobodies do! Either way, this doesn't look good…

"Whose idea was it to come here again?" Olette asks as she suddenly finds her back pressed firmly against the gate. The cold metal against her bare arm isn't helping the situation much, and it seems that someone has once again locked the gate with iron chain.

"If I recall, it was yours…" Pence says oh-so-helpfully, earning a glare from the older of the two girl. The boy gulps before making a motion of zipping his mouth shut.

Having decided long ago to ignore the older pair's childish banter, Alice puts her mind to use. Let's see what can she do? Blast them with fire? Froze them with ice? Or zap them with lightning? Um… which one uses the least energy? Fire it is. Concentrating, the princess gathers a compact fireball in her hands before tossing it at a Dusk. It hits the target alright, but didn't seem to do much other than making it bounce a little. Frowning, the girl fire an ice bolt at the same Dusk, and watches as it hits it with out much damage done. Groaning in desperation, Alice sends a lightning bolt at the same Dusk once more, and sags in defeat as it seems to absorb the blow once more. Um… this is really, really bad. It appears Nobodies are a lot more durable than Heartless… Now if she can just acquire some form of assistance… THAT'S IT!

"EUREKA!" Alice's sudden out burst causes Olette and Pence to jump two feet up into the air as well as the attention of just about every beings in the vicinity. "I got a summoning charm!"

Olette blinks once, twice, before grinning as she watches Alice digs around for said summoning charm. She had seen Sora summon before (so has Pence and Hayner), and know for a fact that they are rather useful. Now if Alice can just find that charm!

"Ooh, check and double check I say, but I never follow my own advice…" Alice mumbles as she flips just about every pocket in her coat over. She remembers it is… oh! Necklace! "Ooh, I really need to heed my own advice… Now where did I…? Ah-ha!" Alice shouts in triumph as she quickly grabs her necklace, which is the heart-shaped pendent, and looks at it… and looks at it… and looks at it… "Master Yen Sid never taught me how to summon…"

"…We're doomed!" Pence shouts in despair while being completely oblivious to the two heated glare from the girls as he wails on and on about how the end is near. Olette quickly make a mental note to not let him watch any end-of-the-world movies if they live through this.

"Um… how did Sora did it again… um…" Olette, being only slightly better in not panicking than Pence, says as she ransacks her brain for any and every clue about how Sora summons. Let's see, grab the charm, and toss it into the air? No, there must be more than that! "W-well, might as well give it a try… Alice, why not try tossing it into the air and… pour magic into it or something? You know, think of the thing you want to summon?"

The younger girl blinks at the desperate suggestion before she blinks at the approaching mob of Nobodies, and decides that whatever happens from now on is all fate. So the girl sucks in a large gulp of breath, pour as much of her magic as she dares to (without fainting) into the pendent, and toss it into the air and shouts, "SUMMON!" Then Alice quickly racks her brain for any one that she can rely on in this situation. There is her surrogate brother, but can't do that, for he is busy in town. There are those Dancers, but that seems stupid to do considering who their enemies are. There is Master Yen Sid, though she doubts he likes being summoned, let along being force through a dimensional warp point. Um… Sora? Nope, won't work at all… Don't even know what he looks like now or if he is off in another corner of the universe saving another world. Err… think, Alice, think… What did Master Yen Sid said? Whatever it summons is up to her, so what is she going to summon?!

No time, whatever will do. 'Please, anyone, save us!' Alice mentally cries as she squeeze her eyes shut, praying to whoever can hear her to answer her plea. To her joy and surprise, something did respond, or more like two some_one_.

And the taller of the two, with long, flowing silver hair, long black coat, and a single wing growing out of his shoulder speaks, "…It seems we're back to the realm of light. Tell me, does it still blind you so, Cloud?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Long before, this would be what he would have wanted: to battle his rival without restriction, without time limit, without interruption, and without the need to rest. The realm is simply perfect for his wish, as there is no need to sleep or eat here. Fatigue doesn't bother them, for they seem to be stuck in a state of stasis. Wounds do not bother them, because they simply heal rapidly in this realm of neither light nor darkness. Nothing in here matters, just him, his opponent, and the constant clashing or their weapons; Masamune against First Tsurugi.

Just them, and only them.

And there lies the problem: it is JUST them. Weariness has long caught up to him, the unrest of repetition bury itself into his body as they dance to each other's dismay. The constant clash of swords become dull, and the adrenaline rush that use to accompany him seems to disappear. He needs a new challenge. He needs to escape this place.

But before he can, HE must learn his lesson. However, nothing seems to work against HIM, be it because he himself is not an affective teacher or HE is simply too stubborn. So until HE learns, they will continue their duel in this forsaken place.

Yet something is different at this moment –for the concept of time has long since fled them. Something is going to happen, he can feel it, and his body trembles in anticipation for the event that is to come. There is something pulling at him, calling him, pleading for help? 'Please, anyone, save us!' Well, that certainly rules out Jenova; or 'mother' as he so lovingly called her once due to insanity and a thirst for vengeance and justice. Who wouldn't when you learn the shocking truth that you were nothing but a monster, born for nothing but destruction and causing mayhem?

Either way, in what felt like eternity, the 'change' happened. There, in the darkness that seems eternal, a tear appears, and out of it pours light. They pause in their duel, both staring at the change, unsure how to react to it. Well, there is nothing to lose now is there? Worst case scenario is for them to be stuck in another plain of existence.

Still, someone is calling, and it is getting stronger and stronger as well as an underlying plea of desperation. It would seem that it's time for him to leave this wretched plain of nothingness. But what about…?

Thinking quickly, he trusts the handle of Masamune into his still unsure opponent, easily knocking him off balance and into the air. With reflexes and skills attained through years of battles, he unleashes a powerful combo that all but propels his arch nemesis into the ripe in space, with himself following close after.

Imagine his surprise when after his eyes adjust to the blinding light, he finds himself facing against a group of Nobodies. Right next to his feet is a heart-shaped pendent that looks to be a necklace, slightly cracked and smoking from residue energy. Behind him stands a trio of children, with one of the three -the blonde haired girl in fact- emitting NOTHING **BUT** THE LIGHT! Oh how delightful, a Princess of Hearts, and SHE summoned HIM?

It seems the universe has a strange sense of humor.

Before he can do anything else, Sephiroth is brought out of his musing by his rival's groan as the man pushes himself up into a defensive position before he too takes in his surrounding with increasing awe. The ex-General smirks before turning his eyes back onto the man that had spend the last… however long it is locked in mortal combat with him. He believes it's almost time to end this foolishness the blonde chocobo head had dragged him into.

…Though it seems his rival still has much to learn, if the way he flinches away from the Princess of Hearts is any indication. So that means more… 'education' is needed. In another word, more beating is required for his blonde rival. But now that they are once more in the realm of light, perhaps a different tactic is needed?

Nah, taunting seems to work JUST fine. So why change tactics when the ones before work so perfectly well? "…It seems we're back to the realm of light. Tell me, does it still blind you so, Cloud?"

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

Blah, school work is increasing once more, and the heat seems to be over, so that means slower update. Although part of the reason is because I'm trying to work this chapter out. It seems to be biting me in the ass because it simply refuses to be… well, good! That means several rewrites of several parts in here. But don't worry; they worked out in the end… I hope.

Anyway, I know people will be scrawling at me for a multitude of things, such as the strange conversation between Hayner and Naruto and (I'm very sure of) the summoning of Sephiroth (insert theme music: One Winged Angel). Well guess what? You can kiss my behind or screw me side way, but I do things MY way! Read at your own happiness. And I'm going to remind people once more, that this is FANfiction. Emphasizing on the FAN part, so anything and everything is possible (so long as it's reasonable and well written of course…).

Finally, the first of the new enemies are introduced. They are nothing too special, but as a stronger version of Shadow, they are a lot harder to deal with. A lot harder if what I want to do worked out just fine. But before then, I expect at least one more chapter on Twilight Town before the new world, and possibly the reappearance of Sora and company. And for those wondering about what new Keyblades I'm going to dump on Naru-chan (for there will be new Keyblades), just pray that I'm nice or impatient enough to do Naruto and Sora's confrontation in the near future.

Well, enjoy.

PS: Questions, complains, or whatever, even flames if you must, put it in review. Further questions that can't be put in review, pm or e-mail me about them. Ja!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Well… what else can I say…?

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"BUT SQUALL! PLEASE! JUST LET ME HAVE SOME FUN!!" Yuffie whines as she latches onto Leon's waist with a death grip. The man grunts in annoyance as he tries to pry her off, but as the universe would have it, he can't seem to no matter how hard he tries. It's like she can summon unbelievable strength for anything but battle.

"No means no Yuffie. You can't go after them. And it's Leon." Leon says, or more like forces out as he once more sets upon the task of getting Yuffie off him. His efforts seem to be for nothing though when she just latches onto him even tighter. "Ugh! Yuffie, let go…"

"…No until you let me go after Naruto…" Yuffie mumbles out with pout as she glares up at him.

The older brunette sighs in exasperation as he resists the urge to plants his face into his hands. The offer to simply let her go is very tempted, seeing that he'll not only be rid of her, but they'll also have a way to keep track of Alice. It's not that he doesn't trust Naruto's skill, because other than his lack of tat in the use of that long Keyblade, he is very competent. He can testify, having sparred with him once in a no-bar-hold spar. Let's just say Aerith is still not happy about them nearly destroying the entire garden she worked so hard to rebuild for the castle. Besides, while he lack any talent for spells, those jutsu of his works just as well.

But on the other hand, if he let Yuffie go, he might just unwittingly dump a disaster zone onto the blonde's lap. God knows she can cause a lot of damage unconsciously, especially when you feed her coffee. A caffeine-saturated Yuffie is good on battle field, not so good in your living room. Also, the girl seems to have feelings for the young blonde, and Leon wasn't sure if that's such a good idea. It may be just a crush from what he can gather, but is it really okay to let her go to a potential heartbreak? He may want to get rid of her at times, but that's what all older brothers feel at times to times about their sister, blood related or not.

So what to do… what to do…

"Pwetty pwease? With cherry on top…?"

…Where's that damn Gummi Ship?

"Leon? Are you in- oh?" Leon silently thanks whoever is up there that pities him, for Aerith enters the room, and just in time too. Any longer and Yuffie would be on a Gummi Ship heading towards Twilight Town. "Oh my, am I interrupting something? Is this a bad time?" The woman asks as she uses a hand to cover her teasing smile that they all know she's sporting. Leon sighs once more while Yuffie just chuckles good-naturally and let the man go. For that, Leon is inwardly jumping up and down and doing a victory dance, but on the outside, he's well… he's Leon.

"No Aerith, you are not interrupting anything." Leon says as he crosses his arms and corks and eye brow. "So, what is it?"

The question seems to bring Aerith back on track as she blinds with wide eyes before smiling one of those radiant beaming smiles, and says, "Guess who just arrived on Radiant Garden? Here's a hint, he saved the worlds twice."

Yuffie laughs in delight as she bounces out of the room, and in the next second, Leon and Aerith can hear the shouting and laughing coming from outside. The two couldn't help but smile at her antic. Seriously, she's like a child.

"So what was it that Yuffie wants?"

Ah, there's the inevitable question. "She wants to go with Naruto."

"Oh…" Silence reign, and some more shouting on the outside and delighted laughing. "Should we let her go?"

"No… It sounds dangerous…"

"…Alright Leon. It's your call." Aerith says as she turns around and heads for the laughing group herself. Before she steps outside the room, she pauses and turns around with a frown and asks, "Should we…?"

"No. Do not tell Sora and the rest about Alice and Naruto. I think it's best to let those two works some stuff out first while we send Sora and company on the other direction." Leon says as he too heads for the door, his boots clanking against the wooden floor as he marches to the other brunette. "Besides, I have a feeling that Sora and Naruto won't get along well without trying to kill each other first. I want to avoid that as long as possible."

"…Alright. I'll tell Yuffie. I just hope she hasn't blurred it out yet." The flower girl says as she heads for the laughter and cheery voices with Leon close on her heels. A silence stretches between the two, both wondering if it's the best to not say anything about Alice and Naruto.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hmm… how much of these damned things had he hacked through for the past… How long was it? Naruto has lost track of both time and the amount of Heartless he had slashed, maimed, and destroyed for the entirety of the battle. It's like they're endless.

Maybe the name Shadow Hordes sound appropriate. They are simply endless… and there seem to be more popping out… or was it his imagination? Let's see… there are bubbles on the out skirt of the horde… yup, they're popping out. So now the question is where are they coming from?

Naruto mentally sighs as he cuts down another Heartless, this one from the head to toe. He'll admit that while this horde is helping him gain some needed experience with Keyblade wielding, the variety is nonexistence, thus he can only do the same thing over and over so many time. Even that thing he tried before can only be done once in a while. For some strange reason, it drains him of his energy for a while after using it (1), thus while he likes to use it, he can only do so once in a while.

So far, he is very tempted to just blast the whole place to kingdom come by going at least four-tailed Kyuubi. But then he remembers that if he does so, there is no one to stop his rampage like Yamato did Konoha. Meaning to go Kyuubi means to go and blasts everything in a radius of… oh about five miles, and that's a no-no. Let's not even get started on his five-tail, let along the six-tail.

Still… the frustration level in dealing with these hordes is… unbelievable. In fact, so caught up in his annoyance, agitation, and frustration, Naruto never notice how his eyes turned red, how his whisker marks thicken, and how his canines lengthen into fangs.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sephiroth hums to himself in amusement as he contemplates the situation at hand. For one, he and Cloud are out of the realm of neither light nor darkness, which mean changes. However, due to the fact that he is summoned, there is always a small chance that he would be dismissed back into that forsaken realm should the princess deem his usefulness over with the moment she is safe. But the irony behind a being of pure light summoning one of darkness tickles his fancy to the degree that he wouldn't mind; that is he wouldn't mind so long as she doesn't turn him into a sort of servant or expects him to be some sort of mindless drone.

Then there is Cloud, who wouldn't hesitate to send him into some sort of living hell if it would give him some moment of peace and solace. The self-proclaimed First Class SOLDIER would and will toss his one-winged-angel-ass into a pit of fire, bake him into a cake, and then eat him whole if it will bring an end to his inner conflict. The prospect of being eaten doesn't appeal to Sephiroth at all, and the prospect of eating another also rather disturbs him (because despite what other says, he does not eat babies for breakfast). He is a being of mass destruction for Jenova's sake, not some person who practices cannibalism.

So that brings him back to square one: what should he do about the situation? One, kill everyone. Two, save all their asses. Or should it be three, leave them along by disappearing into a portal of darkness?

"Well… this certainly is not what I expected…" The little princess says as she blinks owlishly up at him, all the while steadying herself onto her two companions, who looked just as startled and surprised as the princess herself. "Um, Mr. Angel, I wonder if you can perhaps help us… take care of the Nobodies?"

Sephiroth turns his head just enough to glare at the princess for a little bit before smirking in amusement. She is either very stupid or very brave, ordering him around, although technically she did summoned him, and it's more of a request than order. Still, since she asks so nicely…

With an "hn" Sephiroth drops down into a stance, and what occurs next can only be described by slaughter, as the man works through the Nobodies like a scorching hot knife through partially melted butter. He dances circles around the Nobodies, slicing them into bits before they can even reacts, sending them back to wherever they came from to regroup and maybe piece themselves back together. Sephiroth does not have the delusion that he destroyed them, for he knows for a fact that only those Keyblades can truly destroy Heartless, and by extension their discarded body and soul, the Nobody (2).

But then he can wound them enough to force them to retreat, giving him at least some sort of consolation if not a small victory. Thus why he even consider slicing and dicing them up when he can just as well leave them for the Keybearer to handle. It's one of the small things he considers to be done of his own free will. After all, Sephiroth lived more of his life being controlled, first by Shinra, then by Jenova, then by Cloud's damned obsession, and then possibly a Princess of Hearts. So he will enjoy inflicting as much damage as he can, because while he is 'asked' to get rid of them, he chooses the method at which it is done.

With one last stroke of Masamune, Sephiroth dispatches the last Nobody in the immediate area before turning around to face the blonde girl. The girl stares with wide eyes at him, amazed at the quickness as well as skill displayed. In truth, Sephiroth finds himself a little uncomfortable under her blue gaze.

Oh wait, Cloud… "Is there anything I can help you with, Cloud?" Sephiroth taunts as he turns to regard his rival with an amused smirk. Just as he expected, Cloud has being standing there, slightly dazed and confused. Of course, he never let his guard down, that much Sephiroth is sure. "Or do you prefer that we resume what was interrupted?"

"Sephiroth, stay away from them…" Cloud grounds out as he holds First Tsurugi in front of him. The shorter man is ready to move at a second's notice, his protective instinct kicking in at the presence of children. However, the one-winged angel just laughs in amusement and shakes his head. "What is so funny?"

"I have no intention of harming them. I assure you, they will not be… slaughtered." Sephiroth says, enjoying the way Cloud tenses in anger. Just then, the chocobo head's eyes nearly pop out of his sockets, making Sephiroth wonder just what could surprise the man so, considering not much can surprise Cloud these days.

Tuck… "Um, Mister… Sephiroth was it?" The man blinks once, twice, and then looks down to his side to find blue eyes staring back at him. The little girl smiles sheepishly as she points at a general direction and says, "Um, I hope it isn't too much trouble, but my brother may need some assistance in town… He's at that direction…"

Sephiroth narrows his Mako eyes as he gaze into the girl's blue. He is positive that she can sense his darkness, and yet here she is, not afraid and actually asking for his help?

"Girl, get away from him. It's not safe…" Cloud says to the girl, who just blinks in his direction and tilts her head to the side. "He is dangerous… step away from him…"

"…Oh, you must be Mr. Cloud." The girl suddenly chirps as she performs a curtsy. "Your friends in Radiant Garden talks of you a lot. As for him… I believe Mr. Sephiroth is alright, even though I know he is dangerous. I am just hoping to gain some assistance for my brother." The blonde girl says as she shifts her gaze from Cloud to Sephiroth, and back again several times in contemplation. "Um… well, at least one of you can I hope…"

"…Hn. Cloud, you stay here. Think of it as rehab for returning to the realm of light." Sephiroth says and smirks as Cloud seethes in anger at the taunt. With a gentle shove, he pushes the little princess towards the self-proclaimed SOLDIER and, with a single beat of his wing, soars into the sky towards the general direction that the girl pointed to. He silently noted the single boy with wild blonde hair that's dashing towards the group, but deems him no threat, so decides to leave him alone.

It's really funny how willing he is to take the girl's request. Sephiroth knows for a fact that it is not because she is a Princess of Hearts, and also it's not because she asks rather nicely for he'd refused requests that were worded much nicer in the past. Maybe it's because he wants to do something different for a change?

Well, whatever it is that compiles him to accept the request, he'll have to figure it out in the future, because he can see what it is the girl wants help with. There, at the center of a town square (or he assumes it is) is a sea of… Heartless? Well, never seen those before. And right in the center of the pool is a single blonde blur that's tearing into the seemly endless rank, because despite how much the blur tears into the sea, there never seem to be an end of it. Hmm, that aside, the blur in the center is emitting some rather potent killing intention, a little too potent if you ask Sephiroth.

Filing that away for future reference if he ever runs into the guy again, Sephiroth dives into the center of the sea. He isn't taken by surprise as the blur notices his approach and nearly separated his head from his body, since he quickly parried that. What he is surprised though is the fact that the person carries a Keyblade. "Oh? A Keyblade? Interesting."

"Yeah? And what's it to you?" The person, who turns out to be a blonde in his late teen, dark whisker marks on his face and red eyes with cat-like pupils. For reasons unknown to him, Sephiroth questions himself if that is truly the blonde's eye color. His musing is cuts short when the blonde tosses him aside with considerable strength before quickly turning around and slices a Heartless in two from the waist. "Are you here to fight me?"

"No. On the contrary…" Sephiroth says as he stabs a Heartless that leaped for the blonde's shoulder from behind. "I was asked to help…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto isn't stupid as must tend to believe. He is just slow on the uptake of information at times. Getting your education sabotaged tends to do that to you. Rather, those who knew him will say that he is one of those geniuses that take up knowledge and skills so fast that his teachers were reluctant to let him go. As such, Naruto can learn at an incredible rate if people are willing to grant him the time and patient to give him the basics and some advice (and the occasional fist to the head).

Thus when he felt the presence of something dark and powerful approaching, Naruto knows instantly that the battle will either be the death of him, or his luck will win through once more and something miraculous happens. But still, just to be on the safe side, he swings Path of Redemption to meet the fast approaching unknown, and lo and behold, there is a man with silver hair, a wing on his shoulder, and the longest sword he has ever have the pleasure of laying eyes on (and silently hoping that he never has to experience it on his body).

"Oh? A Keyblade? Interesting." The unknown that turns out to be a man says as he retracts his own blade.

"Yeah? And what's it to you?" Naruto raises an eye brow before tossing him aside by pushing his Keyblade outward and then turning around and cleaves another Heartless courageous enough to try and jump his back in two. "Are you here to fight me?"

If there really is someone up there, let the answer be no.

"No." Naruto mentally thanks whoever is up there. That long blade really looks nasty. "On the contrary…" The man begins before he stabs forward, too fast for Naruto to react and too sudden to really react to it. However, instead of skewering his head as Naruto thought initially, the sword pierce another Heartless brave enough to jump his behind. "I was asked to help…"

"…A little girl, blonde hair, blue eyes; has this strange persuasive power over you?" Naruto asks with a deadpan as he spins around and slashes two more into oblivion before dropping into a roll to avoid a claw swipe.

"Hmm, quite accurate description…" The man says as he slices the claw-swiping Heartless's arms off and then another's head with the same attack. "Now, let's end this…" Bending his knees slightly and holding his long blade to the side, the man blurs past the mob of Heartless and appears at the other end. Nothing seems to happen at first, but then silver arcs appear in the air, creating a pace of carnage through the Heartless mob as well as a clear path to walk through (3).

"Nice… you got to teach me how to do that…" Naruto says as he bashes a Heartless into its comrade and then pierces them with one stroke. "Grr… they never end…" The blonde curses as he returns his attention into the horde, ignoring the man that is putting quite a dent into the Heartless horde. However, more just keeps on coming.

Just then, the horde stops moving as one, then they all turn their heads toward one particular direction. Naruto stops attacking and blinks in confusion. They simply just… stopped.

…**Pop…** Suddenly all the Heartless vanishes into Corridors of Darkness as one, leaving behind two men and a devastated area. Naruto blinks in confusion before he shouts his frustration into the heaven, spilling curse after curse at the situation as well as the efforts spend on getting rid of the Heartless force. "GOD DAMN IT! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THEM!? THEY NEVER STOP COMING, NOW THEY ALL DISAPPEAR? JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THEY THINKING?" Naruto exclaims as he stabs Path of Redemption into the ground and spins around to face the new comer. "AND YOU! JUST WHO THE FUCK… eh? Where he go?"

_**Rest child… For your journey has finally began…**_The voice from before says in his head, and Naruto just sighs in annoyance as he suddenly finds just how exhausted he is. It seems that Fate really does like to screw with him, because it appears that he will have to save the universe. And you would think that after getting rid of just about all of Akatsuki, watched most of his precious people die, as well as getting tossed into new worlds would give him a well deserved vacation… Wait, maybe that time in Alice's world is the vacation… Ah fuck you all.

Anyway, if past experience is anything to go by, his body should shut down right about… now. "…Right… Night…" **Thud…**

XXXXXXXXXX

"Um… what the hell happened here?"

"Man, this is a war zone… Pence, any comment?"

"Wow… Naruto kicked serious butt… Speaking of whom, where is he?"

"Pence, you check that side, I'll se-EEK! Damn it, what did I trip over…? N-NARUTO!"

"Oro? That was fast. Olette, did you step on him or something?"

"…"

"…You did…"

"S-shut up and help me move him! Hayner, grab his legs."

"Sure, I got it… Damn, he's heavy!"

"Man, he really is… Why can't that Cloud guy do it?"

"Because he is with Alice, and we all know that he's better off with her. Now you two, quiet down and move. Some of these scratches look really nasty!"

"Yes ma'am…"

XXXXX **A day later… **XXXXX

"I still think we could have stay and helped a little. After all, you did cause quite a bit of damage…"

"Alice, we don't have time. Besides, it was you that decided to leave, saying something about time is of the essence."

"F-fine… But must you shove Mr. Cloud like that through the door? Even though it did save us three days' waiting time, must you really toss him through like a sack of flour?"

"The chocobo head pisses me off for some reason… Must be the way he looked at me, or maybe he just remind me of someone I know. Beside, I'm tired, hungry, and he won't stop glaring at me. Either way, the Restoration Committee is happy to see him… Leon looks extremely happy to see him."

"That's rather rude of you. His name is Cloud, not chocobo head. And your definition of happy is rather… twisted… How can you consider someone happy with that murderous light in their eyes and making choking motions?"

"Eh… you're right. Must be the lack of ramen…" Naruto says and then mumbles the last part softly, even though Alice still heard it, and wonders what in God's name is this thing called ramen. Still, the girl is convinced that it's rather because of Miss Yuffie, who had this giddy look on her face that's almost identical to some of the more… vigorous girls on Twilight Town that tried to catch Naruto's fancy. "Anyway… Where are we again?"

"Oh… Um, it's a place called… What was it again? Oh right, Victoria Garden… Although it lacks beauty…" Alice says as she examines the rather… dull looking place that their instinct has leaded them to. The door that leads to this place has the picture of a Victorian styled city on the top, and then a stair that leads down to another city on the bottom. The upper city looks dull due to its black and white image while the lower city looks lively with its multicolor look. The Princess of Hearts is skeptical about the image's presentation, so without much thought, she barges in the door, dragging a slightly tired Naruto after her. So here they are, stranded in this rather dull looking place for three days because the door had already closed. She may be able to open a door to somewhere on this world, but like mentioned before: she can't world hop for three days when she exits a hop. "…I suppose there is nothing else to it then? Might as well find an inn and check in. You look like you can use a nap brother."

"Eh, sure. Besides, you look like you can loose whatever it is that's binding you up…" Naruto notes at the way Alice seems to strain to breathe and the way at which her waist becomes that much more define. In fact, the cloth on her body changed to something that's a lot more conservative and restrictive; simple, but restrictive. As for him, his cloth changed into a suit like the one he wore when staying with Penelope, except not as refined and also appears rather dull. Both of their clothing looks dull actually, lacking the color they once hold.

"It's a corset brother, a device made by man to torture woman… (4) Ugh, why must my undergarment change into this…?" Alice moans as she twists this way and that to try and get some more breathing room. All that seem to do though is make her more uncomfortable. "I will never understand how sister can stand to wear this… Either way brother, do we have enough money for an inn?"

The older blonde just reaches into his jacket and produces a pouch, and jingles it in his palms. "One of the good thing that comes with this trip: mumny. They change to whatever the currency the world we landed on is using. Who new that Heartless and Nobodies carry them? Now c'mon, let's find some place to stay."

"Alright… oh and brother, catch me…"

"Huh? Oof! …It's really that hard?"

"You try wearing it…" Alice grounds out as she steadies herself and takes in a few large gulp of much needed air. "Now let's hurry so I can loose this blasted contraption…"

"Language my dear Alice, language." The shinobi teases, earning him a glare and a cute pout from his surrogate sister, who just crosses her arms and turns the other way.

"…Bite me…"

"HEAR YE, HEAR YE! VICTOR VON DORT IS TO MARRY VICTORIA EVERGLOT IN THREE DAYS' TIME! THE SON OF VON DORT THE FISH MERCHANT IS TO MARRY THE DAUGHTER OF THE NOBLE HOUSE OF EVERGLOT!" A man shouts as he walks past the two, all the while ringing a bell in his hand. Alice and Naruto blink at the news before both shrug and walk toward an inn that they can see just across the street. It really doesn't matter who is marrying who to them. What matters to them is getting a room to stay for three days as well as get Alice out of that corset. Her face is gaining a rather blue tint.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I still think we should check out the other princesses first. You never know if they're in trouble or not." Sora says as he punches in a few coordinates for the worlds that the other five Princesses of Hearts are. "It never hurts to check."

"True." Riku says as he lean back against the pilot seat he is occupying at the moment. "Now the only question is just which one to go to first."

"How about we visit Alice's world first? You know, to get an idea about just who to watch out for?" Kairi asks as she enters the cockpit. She be damned if her boys left her on Destiny Island alone once more. Besides, this way at least they'll know one Princess of Hearts is safe: her. Oh, and did she mention she still has that Keyblade Riku gave her, and that she's not afraid to use it?

"Hmm… That's a good idea…" Sora replies as he changes the coordinate and set course for Wonderland. With that done, the teen spaces out on the rest of the crew and sets his mind into trying to figure out just what is in stored for them this time. The way Leon and the rest acted is rather strange. It's like they're keeping something from them. Still, Sora won't question their wisdom. People do things for a reason, and the Restoration Committee has their reasons for hiding whatever they are hiding. He may not like it, but there really is no way for him to force the secrets out of them. Besides, that would be considered as rude and mean.

Of course, the worries don't stop there, for there are the missing King Mickey they must find, this Jailor person they have to locate, Alice's disappearance that needs to be solved as fast as possible, and then of course the lack of movement from Maleficent that Sora is absolutely sure is alive and well.

…When did things become so complicated?

"Hello? Kairi to Sora?" Kairi's voice and a gentle racking on his head brings the Keyblade Master out of his thoughts to find Riku, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy all looking at him with concern. "Sora? Are you alright?"

"Gosh Sora, you're so quiet." Goofy says, and Donald quacks his agreement on the subject. "Is something on your mind?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. It's nothing, I'm fine." Sora says as he puts on his usual goofy grin and waves his hands in front of him. "Let's just go and see what we can do about Alice." The group only looks at each other and shrugs in acceptance. They know that Sora will tell them when he is ready. "Well, here we go! We're off to a new adventure!"

With that, the Gummi Ship Highwind blasts off into space, heading towards Alice's home world to investigate Alice's disappearance. All of them know that they have set foot into a new adventure that can bring a lot of things into their life.

It's off to saving the universe once more! And guess what? This time, they WILL kick major ass!

XXXXXXXXXX

AN: Umm… rewrite it so many times, and I will admit, it hurts a little to try and force this out. So I'm just going to put this up and be done with this chapter. Remember, this story will lack pieces and info that I may or may not fill in later, so don't bite my head off about the lack of… well, stuff. Anyway, here are some of the little things I think should be explained:

1) Naruto's limit break: Spiraling Damnation. Naruto throws out the Keyblade like a boomerang while he charges his limbs with chakra and tears into the enemy rank with pure taijutsu, stopping only long enough to sent the Keyblade flying at another direction. The end of the limit is signaled by Naruto cutting in a large circle with the last return of the Keyblade. If it's put in a video game setting, it'll last about 15 seconds, 20 seconds with limit extension AP skill; the ranged Keyblade attack lasts for three seconds and takes about a second recovery time (or cool down if you will). The skill can be used with specific characters to give specific effects like Sora's Trinity. As to who gives what though, you'll just have to be patient and find out.

2) A concept I thought up, not sure if it's even the actual stuff. But to me, it makes sense, since if anything can destroy Heartless and Nobody, then what's the point of having Keyblade at all?

3) Those that played Kingdom Hearts 2 should recognize this, especially if you get your ass handed to you enough time by Sephy. They start the damn fight with this people… If you ask me what that move is, I will send a rapid squirrel to you (as per request of a reader).

4) Not true, because while corset is rather painful to wear, it's great for body figure. Really, it is; I saw a documentary on it once and that's what it said.

Anyway, the next chapter will starts off with Sora, and will give some development on that end. Alice and Naruto's destination will be looked over in time, and for those that guessed which world it is, give yourself a pat on the back and a chocolate chip cookie.

Now, final issue: this was done in like 2 or 3 in the morning. I'm tired, I'm sleep deprived, and I'm thirsty. So there will be grammar/spelling error. I'm sorry about those, but I'm simply too dead tired to care… for this chapter. I might check it later and replace it with the proof read one as well as add new contents on it, but don't really count on it.

Well, enjoy…

PS: questions, concerns, colorful complains (AKA flames), send it in as pm or review, and I will address them as best as I can.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: … (Gape at readers, wondering if I really have to say what's here…)

XXXXXXXXXX

While one Princess of Hearts is cursing whoever it was that created corset (and getting some rather amused look from another blonde), another Princess of Hearts is wondering just what in the blazing hell is going on.

First of all, all that is missing is Alice. The other princesses are all fine (including herself if you haven't notice), and the stars aren't blinking out, meaning that Maleficent isn't trying to open Kingdom Hearts once more… at least not yet.

Second, there is that very strange dream that she has several days ago -a week ago? Or was it two? - that entails her, Naminé, and another Keyblade wielder that is, for some strange reason, accused by her for kidnapping Alice. Kairi doesn't know him, and he doesn't know her, even though Naminé seems to know him for some strange reason while mentioning someone by the name of Xion. So there really is no reason for that to occur right?

Third, when they arrived at Wonderland, the person that is suspected of kidnapping Alice happens to fit the person Kairi dreamed of accusing. Doesn't that just put a cap on it all? And guess what? The guy supposedly has amnesia, meaning that he doesn't remember much except his name, so there is nothing to track him by… besides his appearance of course.

All of that add up to a very confused Kairi who sits in her temporary room aboard the Gummi Ship Highwind. So far, the red-haired teen has finds the journey to be peaceful, meaning they have yet to run into any trouble at all. They already check Wonderland for any signs of Alice and come up negative, thus meaning that she's off world somewhere. They manage to do a quick check on Belle, who is happily eating dinner with Beast –who is now the Prince once more (1). The two somehow managed to persuade them to stay for a night, and the next morning, after a wonderful breakfast, the company sets out once more, but not before asking Belle to keep an eye out for any suspicious characters or events.

Kairi will admits that she likes the older woman a lot, what is with her rebellious nature and that brash attitude, but all of it kept under control by her intelligent and maturity. It all ended with Kairi promising to visit again, and she plans to make it somewhere in the near future.

Now they are en route to Agrabah to check on Jasmine, and the trip will take several hours as Sora said. That is the reason why Kairi is inside the room that once belongs to Donald, as she tried to take a nap to get some rest. Keyword being tried however, as she can't help but ponder upon the mysterious lack of Heartless activities. Sora even commented on how the space is lacking in Heartless ships. Generally Kairi would say that no news is good news, but for the present, she really can't say that it is a good thing.

Sighing, the Princess stands up and walks out of the room and heads for the kitchen, thinking that perhaps some ice cream would sooth her worrying. After navigating the simple corridors of the ship, Kairi finds herself equipped with a spoon and a carton of vanilla ice cream. Humming in pleasure, Kairi's mind once more settles onto the issues of Alice, and with Alice comes that tall person, and with that tall person comes Naminé, whose name somehow directs her to… Xion?

"I wonder who this Xion person is." Kairi mumbles around a spoonful of delightful frozen cream while staring at the ceiling in thoughts. A gasps from behind her brings Kairi's attention to a surprised Riku, who stands in the door way with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Blinking, Kairi swallow her spoonful of ice cream and asks, "Riku, is something wrong?"

"Xion… how do you know that name?" The silver haired teen asks as he slowly approaches the confused Princess. "No body else should know that name… DiZ made sure of that…"

"You mean Ansem made sure of that." Kairi says, and silently take note of how Riku flinches at the name, but decides not to comment on it for his pride. "So is there anything I should know about this Xion?"

Riku seems to clamp down as he stares back at Kairi, who simply raise a fine eyebrow at the older teen's reaction. Several seconds past as Kairi slowly inserts another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, all the while continuing their impromptu staring match. If memory serves her right, all she needs to do is narrow her eyes slightly, and turns the corner of her mouth just the slight bit down ward…

"…Xion is Organization XIII's fourteenth member." Riku says as he caves under the Princess's demand and sighs at the triumphant light in Kairi's eyes. Walking over, he plots himself down onto another chair and lean against back to stare up at the ceiling, reminiscing. "She is… well, we're not exactly sure what she is. However, we, as in Ansem, Naminé, and me don't classify her as a Nobody."

"Oh? Why isn't she considered a Nobody? And is that why Organization XIII is still called that even though they have a fourteenth member?" Kairi asks as she puts away the ice cream and sits down to listen to the tale that she cajoled out of Riku.

Riku is silent for a few more seconds, inwardly debating whether to not to tell Kairi. After all, what he tells her is going to affect a lot of things. Sighing, Riku messages his head, and at Kairi's silent probe, he begins, "Yes, Organization XIII is still called that after Xion joined because she isn't considered a Nobody. And the reason why she isn't considered a Nobody is… First off, she can actually feel emotion, not imitated and while she doesn't notice it (nor did the other Nobodies), she expresses them constantly (2). Then of course, there is one little piece of information… To put it simple, she isn't a Nobody is because YOU already have a Nobody…"

The wielder of dawn can't help but chuckles at the expression on Kairi's face; a mix of confusion, shock, and awe. After all, that piece of information along tells her a lot of things. One, Xion is special, very special. Two, her existence (or whatever it is) is kept a secret for a reason that is sure to be mind boggling. And lastly…

She supposedly looks just like her…

'Wait, hold up. So you're saying that she is… what? A copy of me?" Kairi exclaims as she leans forward, her blue eyes shining in bewilderment. Riku's nod has Kairi plotting herself back onto her sit and stares, trying to process the information that there is, or was another copy of her running around sometime ago.

"Well, not really a copy, since Xion has black hair instead of red. Other than that, you two can pass for twins with her hair style and what not." Riku supplies as an after thought, even though that still doesn't help Kairi sort through the news. It isn't everyday that you learn there is someone else that looks almost identical to you.

"Oh, and did I mention she can use the Keyblade?" Riku says, and laughs as he watches Kairi falls out of her sit. All fun aside, the teen gets sad once more as he returns his gaze to the ceiling. "Still… Xion was a nice girl. Like a little sister if you will. It's sad that she must disappear for Sora's sake…" With that said and done, Riku stands up and walks out the kitchen to let Kairi sort out the information she just learned.

Still dazed, Kairi slowly stands up and walks into her temporary room on auto pilot. Dumping herself onto the single bed, the girl continues to stare into nothing as her mind runs at a speed that would make a warp drive jealous of it.

"_Hmm… let me see if this helps…_" Naminé's voice says in her head, and the next thing Kairi knows, she's standing on the same platform that weird dream occurred on. Then there is also the fact that standing not ten feet away is her memory-manipulating Nobody, Naminé, who smiles softly with her hands folded behind her. "Hello Kairi."

"…Naminé…" Kairi whispers before she bursts forward and wrap the Nobody in a hug. For some reason not even Kairi knows, Kairi feels as if she is reunited with her long lost twin. Imagine that your closest person disappeared, and then suddenly found a while later, unharmed and safe, and multiply that feeling by a lot, and you might get some idea as to what Kairi feels.

"Teehee, I miss you too Kairi, but you do remember that I'm practically living in you right?" Naminé says, and Kairi just giggles softly before letting go the blonde look-a-like. Smiling, Naminé motions to her side, and when Kairi turns to see what it is the Nobody is motioning at, she jumps back at the girl that stands five feet away, wearing an Organization cloak, and save for the black hair, looks just like her. "Meet Xion, or what she looks like anyway, for this is but a projection I created using my memory."

Nodding, Kairi steps forward and walks a circle around her other-look-a-like, nodding to herself at the similar body structure and posture. The Princess of Hearts can't help but be impressed at just how much she looks like her, even more so than Naminé, for Naminé has different hair style while Xion's look like what she does two years ago. "Hmm… she looks like I do two years ago…"

"Of course. She's based off of you two years ago." Naminé says naturally before waving her hand at the image, and Xion grew in front of Kairi's eyes, into what she looks like now. "And this will be what she looks like if she still exists. The resemblance is frightening right?"

"…I think mine is bigger…" Kairi says as she observes Xion's chest (which is rather hard to miss with the way the cloak sticks to her) and then observes her own (which is also hard to miss considering her spaghetti-strap dress). Naminé bursts into giggles at the strange comment before walking forward and puts an arm around Kairi. "What is so funny?"

"Just that it's rather peculiar to hear. Either way, you can compare all you want later, but can we get back to the topic at hand?" The way Kairi blushes is all the Nobody needs. "Anyway, as Riku mentioned before, we don't consider Xion a Nobody, because she isn't an empty husk left behind like me –even though I'm created from Sora's body due to your lack of darkness. Rather, Xion just IS. She appears suddenly, fully equipped with a heart, a body, and a soul. How Xemnas even found her is beyond me. She can be considered as a Somebody, but the fact that she simple IS puts that theory out… Though I still say she's a Somebody." Naminé grumbles out the last part and then mumbles some incoherent sentences. Though Kairi could swear she heard the words "maim" and "Ansem" in the same sentence. "Anyway, Xemnas seems to be aware of her… unique status, thus while he did recruit her, he never change the name of the organization as he thinks that it wouldn't be appropriate."

"Okay… I'm following so far…" Kairi says as she collects her thoughts and launch into a short conclusion. "In essence, Xion is a Somebody made after me because of certain factors that are still unknown to me, but doesn't know that she is a Somebody. She just IS, with no past and nothing to indicate how she simply appears. Oh, and she can use the Keyblade…" Kairi pauses there, and seeing Naminé's proud smile, the hesitantly puts forth her last conclusion that, while sounding as crazy as anything, makes perfect sense as the facts and logics combine in some seemly insane fashion. "Xion looks like I do two years ago, and can use the Keyblade, because she is connected to both me and Sora at the same time, yet she disappeared for Sora's sake… She is made from Sora's memory of me…?"

"Bingo, although not completely." The Nobody says as she pokes the air, and a Corridor of Darkness appears. "Care to take a look?"

"Where are we going?"

"A trip down Sora's Hall of Memories of course." Naminé says as she walks through the portal before poking her head out again with a teasing smile. "Oh, and don't touch anything unless you want to be exposed to certain… thoughts and daydreams."

XXXXXXXXXX

"_It's a beautiful day!"_

"_It's a rather nice day."_

"_A day for a glorious wedding!"_

"_A rehearsal my dear, to be perfectly clear."_

"_A rehearsal for a glorious wedding!"_

Naruto stirs at the singing that invades his ears at such an unholy hour (which by the way is around 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning). He opens his blue eyes to glare at the open window that he is sure Alice must have opened a while ago, seeing that she tends to wake up earlier than him if he doesn't need to get up.

"_Assuming nothing happens that we don't really know."_

"_That nothing unexpected interferes with the show."_

"_**And that's why everything, every last little thing. Every single tiny microscopic little thing must go…**__"_

The blonde curses the people that are currently blowing their windpipes with such annoying singing. Slowly lifting himself into a sitting position, Naruto sighs as he figures that there really is nothing else he can do to get back to sleep. Well, not with these people singing at least.

"_According to plan!"_

"_Our son will be married."_

"_According to plan~."_

"_Our family carried!"_

"_**We'll go right into the heights of society…**__"_

Well, these must be the Van Dort family that the "news shouter" as Naruto so generously dubbed him was shouting about for the last two days. The Everglots are nobles, thus they do not do such gibberish, and if they do, they probably do that much better for the sake of pride. He supposes congratulation is in order? That is, considering they don't drive him insane first with such insisting singing!

"_To the costume balls."_

"_In the hallowed halls."_

"_Rubbing elbows with the finest."_

"_Having crumpets with her highness."_

"_**We'll be there, we'll be seen, having tea with the Queen. We'll forget everything~… **__that we've ever, ever been!_

"…Oh dear… Oh… oh my! It's my dress! It's caught! Oh dear!"

Curious, Naruto raises his head just enough to peer out the window, and lo and behold (3) …Oh the sweet blessing of karma! Serve them right for such blasphemy; singing at such ungodly hour!

"No brother, it's not ungodly. And they do a rather good job in my opinion." Alice's sweet voice says from the other side of the room, and Naruto turns to face her to see her sitting on the other bed in the room and reading a book (two rooms is too expensive, so a room with two bed will suffice… even if the inn keeper eyed him rather suspiciously. He is not a molester). He must have either said it out loud, or she just knows him to that extent… must be the former. "Still, it is about time you should wake up. If my sister is here, she'll drag your sorry body down the hall, be it by your head or your foot." The girl says calmly with a smile, and Naruto knows that she isn't exaggerating. The older of the two sisters can really carry out that particular action… given that she's angry enough and grumpy enough and happens to be during her particular days of the month. "Now chop, chop! Up you go!"

"Fine, fine. I'm up." Naruto mumbles as he stands up and stretches, emitting several pops from his body that signals the release of several joints from their stiffness. "Ooh, that feels nice."

"But sound rather disturbing…" Alice comments as she closes the book and wrinkles her nose. "Either way, I'll be heading down for breakfast. Will you be joining me brother? Or will you explore once more?" The girl asks pleasantly as she hugs the book to her chest. Despite her not wearing the cloth from before, Naruto still can't help but get the feel that she's one of those cute civilian school girls. Oh, and she manage to get rid of the corset, so while the dress still accent her rather well, her waist is no long stick thin.

"Hmm… I'll join you. Just let me wash and change." Naruto says as he covers a yawn. He misses shower, but this place lacks it due to the lack of specific technologies. So all he can really do is just do general hygiene. "Anyway, have you tried opening a light door?"

"Oh, I did. But it appears I'm still haven't improve enough to open a Corridor of Light in two days."

"…Pity. Now off you go. I'll be down in a bit." Naruto says, and Alice beams as she slips out the room and close the door behind her. The older blonde sighs as he reviews the finding of the last two days… nothing. In essence, it's even worst than Twilight Town, and the only reason the town's population isn't screaming in blood murder from one prank or another is because Naruto knows that Alice will take drastic measure this time.

Still, there are no Heartless to kill, no Nobodies to keep him occupied, and no one to talk to besides Alice, who has taken to simply reading whatever books she can get her hands on (which is for some reason a surprising amount). The population is too dull to even bother engaging in a conversation, and let's not bother with the fact that they will have nothing to talk about besides the weather. So as a method to kill time, Naruto has taken to meditate. And while he meditates, he also practices his ability to gather Nature Chakra. It also means the first time Alice saw him with orange eye markings and horizontal slit pupils, she fainted.

Anyway, that brings up an interesting idea. What would happen should he be in Sage Mode while using a Keyblade? He heard from Leon that Sora has these Drive Forms, so that gets him thinking for a while. Of course, that also brings up interesting points such as what happen if he uses Kyuubi's chakra with Keyblade (not small amount, an amount large enough to casts the shroud around him). Then there is the idea of mixing Kyuubi's chakra with Natural Chakra… but he doesn't dear try without some supervision which he lacks… a lot.

Whatever it does, Naruto can't forget to mention a small little perk that comes with Natural Chakra; it makes him all but super sensitive to people's presence around him. He can immediate locate Alice when he is in Sage Mode. He can tell just how many people are currently in town with but a little effort. And he can sense a lot of activity UNDER the city, too big to be insects and pests, but not large enough to be humans… and that just isn't right. Still, Naruto doesn't question it, because the universe -as he has long since concluded- is strange.

Oh, and did he ever mention that he can feel the arrogance that simply poor off the Noble House of Everglot a street away? He didn't? Well, now you know.

Back to the present activity, Naruto puts on the vest that goes over his white bottom-up shirt and then puts his cloak over it. The young man sighs as he straighten out the cloak, and just for the heck of it, he takes out the pocket watch Alice gave to him, and chain it onto his vest. Now all he lacks is a pair of white glove, a top hat, and a walking cane to look like a modest gentleman of high breeding, the ones that he can't help but want to kick their ass. The shinobi wonders if he should entertain the thought for a sort of prank, but discard it, since it will really only work with people that knows him well. With only Alice partially fitting that description (since she doesn't know all about him… yet), it won't be a very good idea for entertainment.

**Knock, knock.** "Brother? You finish yet? Breakfast is getting cold!"

Well, time to put some food into his stomach. He can get back to thinking later with some meditating. For now, food!!!

…Too bad it's not ramen though. "I'm coming. Hold your horses and don't get your panties in a twist."

"Brother!"

"What? It's true that you sounded rather urgent. No need to get mad over how I see things, especially when you might have a weggie that I am unaware of." Naruto says as he opens the door to greet a pouting Alice. "Now, now, none of that. Don't want your pretty little face scrunched up now do we? We still need to find you a husband before you die an old maid. But if it's that weggie from before…" Cue the appearance of shit-eating grin.

"Ooh, you insufferable, maddening… ugh! First, I do not twist my panties. Secondly, I do not know what a weggie is. And finally, if you so much as hinted at me being old again, God helps me…"

It is fun while it lasted, as Alice adopts that demonic look in her eyes once more. Heh, think of it as revenge for keeping him from doing pranks. Now how is he going to placate an angry girl that can make his life a living hell?

XXXXXXXXXX

**Several hours later…**

Victor Van Dort considers himself to be many things. He considers himself to be a rather accomplished artist, and a highly skilled pianist. He considers himself to be highly educated and knows all the equities of high societies despite not being born into a noble house. He considers himself to be a fine young man over all who has a rather bright future (even though he is to be married soon).

What Victor doesn't consider himself to be is courageous. Rather, he will even go as far as to call himself a coward. He is not brave despite having learned some self-defense in the form of fencing. He lacks courage that should be second nature to him (or according to his mother). He cannot face down an opponent without feeling like his bladder will leak. All in all, he considers himself to be weak.

Thus it comes as no surprise to him that he fails to perform the wedding rehearsal, though it still carries major disappointment. Victoria is a very attractive woman, and Victor feels shameful that she'll have him, a man who can't even learn his vow, as her husband. Instead of marrying to him, Victoria should probably go for that new blonde guy that just appears about two days ago… what did he say his name was again? Victor never did get the chance to talk to him, but the little girl with him, Alice, seems very nice.

Well, no time to worry about that. He needs to practice the vow if he wants to get married and not disappoint his parents and Victoria. So, one more time… "With these hands, I shall cup your-…!" Victor pauses as he stares down at his hands, which are in cupping motion at his chest region. He pales slightly at the implication and quickly drops his arms, all the while berating himself. "Oh dear, I'm hopeless…" The young man laments to himself as his shoulders slump while he drags himself deeper into the forest. During all this, he never notices the figure that is trailing him high up above the trees.

XXXXXXXXXX

"'Oh, but brother, he might get hurt. You must make sure that he is safe. The forest is a dangerous place at night.' Blah, blah, why must I do this?" Naruto questions as he continues to trail behind the depressed Victor. "Oh right, I remember… Damn it Alice. This is probably getting back at me for calling her old…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Victor continues to berate himself as he fails time and time again to recite the vow. He has tried, over and over, to get it right. However, it seems fate is against him because he always messed up on one thing or another. "It's not use. I'm such a failure…" Victor says, finally admitting defeat as he sits down on a rock and stares at the ground. "I'll never get it right…" The young man laments as he leans down, and blinks in surprise as a single stem of flowers drop onto the ground.

It's the same one from the piano vast. The one that he got from the moment he share a small, but delightful conversation with his wife-to-be before Mrs. Everglot interrupted it with a scolding. The flowers look kind of sad, probably from lack of water. It hasn't whither away though, and that's enough to tempt Victor to take a sniff. As the sent wafts into his nose, the young man sighs contently before a determined look settles over his eyes. He will give it another try, and this time, he'll do it right.

"With this hand, I shall lift your sorrow!" Victor starts as he stands up, straight and tall and proud, and proudly exclaims into the silent night. "Your cup shall never be empty, for I shall be your wine!" The man then walks over to a tree that looks rather similar to Mrs. Everglot, and says, "Why Mrs. Everglot, you look ravishing tonight." Then he drifts to another one that looks like the small Mr. Everglot, and laughs, "Good evening Mr. Everglot. What is that? Call you dad? Well, if you insist." Victor finishes with a pat to the tree that symbolizes his father-in-law's head, and quickly dash to another tree, reaches forward, and snaps off a tree branch thick enough to be a candle.

"With this candle…" Victor pauses only long enough to dip the 'candle' as if lighting it and holds it high next to his head. "I shall light your way. And with this ring…" Here, the young man pauses, his eyes scanning around for an appropriate object to… oh, there it is. A particular root that's sticking out of the ground, looking just like a hand should. Smiling, the Van Dort kneels down and gently slips the wedding ring onto what resembles the index finger on the root, and finishes his vow, "I ask you to be mine."

Perfect! He did it! He finally learned his vow! **Caw!** "Huh…?" Victor turns around, and blinks at the amount of crows that suddenly gather, each glaring at him with menacing eyes that seems to laugh at him. Then lightning suddenly blasts in the distance, and the man blinks once more before he gasps in horror as he feels something grabs onto his arm. Looking down, his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as he sees the root from before as not a root, but an actual skeletal hand, and it's MOVING! "OH MY GOD!"

The hand jerks, and with strength unfit for its appearance, pulls Victor's arm into the hole it jutted out from. Victor gasps in horror and pulls against the unnaturally strong force. He succeeds in escaping, but not without taking the ENTIRE arm with him, from hand to shoulder. The arm didn't even let go then. In fact, it tightens its grasp on him. Sucking in a startled and disgusted breath, he quickly shakes the arm off and watches as it plots unceremoniously onto the ground. _Maybe it's over?_ The young man thinks as he pants for breath, trying to make sense of the event that had just transpired. _That's strange… whatever it is, best leave now while I have the chance to._ Alas, he never gets the chance to.

**Boom!** The ground trembles as the mount of dirt from where the arm came from budge. **Boom!** The ground cracks and Victor can hear the crows cawing in delight as the mount of dirt raises higher and higher until from out of it, shots out another arm, this one pale with death, but well preserved. The hand digs into the earth, and pulls its owner from the ground. Victor swears it's like some sort of twisted horror story as he watches a woman, partially decayed and in a wedding dress rises above her unmarked grave. With the remaining hand, the woman brushes away the veil that conceals her face, revealing a pretty face with high cheek bones, ruby red lips (that is more like purple due to her being, well, DEAD), and beautiful black eyes that stares into his own. She smiles, cementing Victor's opinion that she is indeed very pretty, and he wouldn't mind knowing her if she isn't dead… "I do…"

Wait what? Oh right, that skeletal hand is hers, and that hand bores his wedding ring, which just happens to be put on it, after he finishes reciting the vow perfectly… "AH!!!" Coming to a horrifying epiphany, Victor crab walks backward as his mind shuts down and survival instinct takes over. The dead bride walks forwards slowly, revealing one shapely long leg and a skeletal leg under the dress, and exposing part of her rips visible under the dreadful moon light. She raises her hand and reaches for him, and that just urges him to finally pick himself up, and sprints for all he is worth.

'_This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening!_' Victor repeats over and over in his mind as he lets his legs carry him across the forest. Then he just has to runs into a frozen creek, slipping on it before he starts to try and run once more, but due to the slippery ground finds himself to be going nowhere. A slowly approaching foot steps warn him of the approaching bad news, and Victor turns his head just to make sure that she's there. Sure enough, she is, and steadily approaching on him, both of her arms raised (never mind when she attached the other). Yelping, he quickly jumps forward, latches onto a tree, and pulls his body onto safe ground, and runs once more.

Panting, Victor continues to run, finding the path to be increasingly familiar for some reason, before he loses his footing and slides down a steep slope and bumps his head onto something hard and flat. Groaning, Victor gets up and sees himself staring at a tomb stone, and he blinks in realization that he is on his way to the monastery. '_The church! I'll be safe there!_' (4) Quickly getting up, Victor once more starts off in a run as the steady foot steps approach him. Turning around, the young man tries to grudge the amount of distance he has between him and his pursuer, and promptly smacks into a tree, hard.

"Ow…" The Van Dort grunts in pain as he spins around a lean against the tree, a hand covering an eye and the other steadying himself. Then he gasps as his uncovered eye widens in horror, seeing multiple corpse brides heading for him… No wait, now there's one, same thing, run! **Smack!** Ow… damn tree… Victor curses the tree before he turns around once more, and screams as he dodges around the tree and continues his run, seeing the corpse too close for comfort.

The young man gasps in triumph as the forest clears to reveal the bridge and the imposing monastery. He quickly runs onto the bridge, but stops half way to catches his breath as the running, fatigue, and stitches in his side finally got to him. No matter, at least he is safe now… Or so Victor thought, as he turns around and shouts at the fact that the corpse bride is right behind him, and on instinct, he backs into the side of the bridge.

"You may kiss the bride…" The woman says in the same raspy voice from before as she approaches him, grabs hold of his head, and leans forward…

'_Oh god…_' Praise the sweet mercy of unconsciousness!

XXXXXXXXXX

Emily groans in frustration and exasperation as she finds the man to be unconscious the moment she kisses him. Well, at least the kissing part is done… But how is she going to get him back down? And building upon that, how is she going to cement the marriage? (5) Humming, the Corpse Bride examines her new husband, and can't help but grin at his handsome feature. He has a nice voice too. The fact that he is slightly muscular is just the icing on the cake.

Still, she has to admit it's rather amusing to chase after him… whatever it is the reason that prompts him to run in the first place, she'll find out later. But first, what to do, what to do… **Thud!** Huh? Oh, must be that person that's following them. (6) What do you know? There is a witness too. Now no one can slender their marriage! Oh right, the man. "Excuse me, would you mind helping me take him home?"

"…Well what do you know? Now I'd see everything…" The new comer says with exasperation as he rubs his forehead, and Emily just knows that he and her new husband is going to cause a lot of change. Besides, the fact that a man this size can hop in branches like that is a feat in itself that should be praised.

**Pop-pop-pop-pop!** A strange sound fill the clearing and Emily watches warily as several unfamiliar… things appear on the bridge. The new comer, a young man of maybe 18 with blonde hair and striking blue eyes, curses as something, similar to a giant key, flashes into his hand. "Damn, now they decide to show up… And lookie here, it's those Shadow Hordes. At least this time they're not in a horde." The man growls in annoyance as he brandish the key like a weapon, his eyes shifting from left to right. The sight of those eyes glaring so coldly scares the Corpse Bride quite a bit.

Emily whimpers, gently shifting her husband closer to her and wondering if perhaps her promise to herself for finding a husband hasn't dug another grave for her. After all, when she's alive, she tends to get into troubles with her nanny due to her impulsive nature.

XXXXXXXXXX

A little blonde girl gasps as an overwhelming darkness suddenly settles over the town, and she peers into the wood that her surrogate brother entered a while ago due to her 'persuasion.' Alice hugs herself as her eyebrows meet in a frown and her blue eyes shine with worry.

A single word escapes her lips, "Brother…"Alice prays that whatever it is the darkness represent, it wouldn't harm him like it did in Twilight Town.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lord Barkis Bittern chuckles to himself as he slowly approaches the chamber that the Everglots and Van Dorts are sitting in, discussing the missing husband-to-be. The man wonders if the Heartless he sends has already finishes the assignment of taking care of that Van Dort boy.

Oh well, it matters not. There are riches to take and people to kill… But not yet. Not until after the wedding… Oh, and one more thing.

With a snap of his fingers, another Heartless appears next to him. Lord Barkis snares at the blank visage and glowing yellow eyes, and says softly, but darkly, "Do keep an eye on Victoria. Do not cause her harm, or I'll see to it that you pay for it, dearly. Do not let her out of your sight. Understand?"

With a nod, the creature disappears, and Lord Barkis chuckles to himself, satisfied with the turn of event. '_I wonder if that news holler arrived yet… I'm sure my soon-to-be parents-in-laws would like to hear the… tragic news of their ex-soon-to-be son-in-law's demise…_'

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

Well… that, as they said, is that. Other than complains about grammar or spelling problem, the chance of me ever revisiting this chapter is if I decide to do some rewriting, and that's not going to happen anytime soon (or at all for that matter).

Either way, hope you all enjoy this chapter. For those that guessed, yes, it's the _Corpse Bride_. A damn good movie, worthy of the man who created _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. No one has ever tried to use it yet in any fan fiction (that I know of), so I'm proud to say I'm the first to do so (I hope…). But whatever, it's interesting to do some meddling on Victor's thoughts and Emily's reaction after the kiss.

Still, that's all I'm going to say for now. Oh, and below are some of the things that I feel I should explain. So here goes:

1) Regrettably to say, I cannot locate Beast's human name. I remember Shire Folk (author of the trilogy series _The Annals of Darkness_, I recommend reading it if you are looking for a good KH story) calls him Prince Alan? Hmm… well, if you have his name, do tell me for future reference.

2) Remember people, I'll be doing Xion MY way, and it most likely will not be connecting with the game's story line, just some educated guess of what she is based on trailer. But even if I did play the game, there is no chance of me changing anything I'd already done with her. So if you already played the game, don't shout at me or pm me or whatever, because frankly, that's just stupid. Once again people, THIS IS FANFICTION!!! ROAAARR!!! (Kick a dummy with the sign "flamer" on its head into the Pit of Death)

3) If you watched Corpse Bride, then you know what happened here (insert insane laughter).

4) This is still a time when the Church is respectively powerful, even though it is not as powerful as it once was during the Middle Ages (though that is arguable). So it's not strange for people to seek guidance and help from the Church.

5) Don't kill me… It's what is expected of married couple then! It is not a perverted thought! And it is not a perverted notion! It is EXPECTED!

6) There is a saying (don't remember from where) that the dead knows stuff, so it's not too far fetch that she simply knows that they were followed.

Oh, and leave a review if it doesn't bother you to do so. Once again, hope you enjoy the chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: If you ask for this after seeing this, (insert Theme: One-Winged Angel) I'll send Sephy after you!!

Btw, don't you think that theme is catchy?

XXXXXXXXXX

'_Great, just great._' Naruto curses in his mind as he stares warily at the Shadow Hordes. He knows first hand how much trouble they can dish out, and last time he only has to defend himself. Now he has to worry about an unconscious young man and his already-dead wife… and he is not eager to test out if she can die again. '_Let's see… the bridge isn't a very wide battle ground, so I need to be careful where I swing Path of Redemption. No jutsu, since that'll probably blow the other two away at the same time. Don't want to see blood anywhere, just bursts of black smoke…_'

_**Listen child, and listen well…**_ The voice that Naruto is starting to find annoying says in the back of his head, and the blonde can't help but feel a little frustrated that it picks now of all time to bother him. _**The Keyblades are magnificent weapons, not because they can open or lock virtually any locks, or that they function like a blade. They are special because they have magic powers of their own, and when enhanced by the wielder, can create devastating attacks.**_

'_And I shall ask you once more, that help me how?_' Naruto mentally deadpan just as a Heartless leaps at him. Strangely enough, the voice never did much help when he needs it, and only gives him riddles when he doesn't need it… oh well, just chuck it up to one of those strange universal stuff. Reacting quickly, Naruto impale it with his Keyblade and toss it aside, not even bothering to check that it bursts into a cloud of darkness with a pink heart flowing into the sky. That is the cue for all the other Heartless to leap at him, and Naruto quickly dispatch as many as he can while keeping the others away from his objects of protection. '_Alright, Naruto old buddy, just treat this like an escort mission: protect the client… who is a dead corpse with an unconscious dude._'

What? He can't help it. It's not everyday you see a corpse bride.

Still, thinking back to the voice's words, Naruto can do nothing but force himself to agree. After all, swords don't act like boomerangs, and that is exactly what Path of Redemption can do. But he doesn't have time to experiment. Maybe he will when he's back with Alice with her ripping his ear off verbally, but never before then. Don't tell her that he tones her out more often than not when she's lecturing. She'll blow a fuse, because Alice doesn't want to be like her sister. You all know what they say about blood being thicker than water right? …Well, it doesn't make sense to him either, but let's just say it involves role models and influences, and let's just leave it at that.

Well, ignoring all that from before, Naruto slices another Heartless in two, and wonder maybe; just maybe he can convince his Keyblade to blow them up with a super laser beam or something? Wait… where did that come from? And what's a laser beam? Ah forget it; old fashion cutting, dicing, and slashing work just fine thank you very much.

'…_Oh what are you grumbling about? It's not like it's the end of the universe when I say that._' Naruto mentally scolds his Keyblade when it vibrates in disappointment at him discarding the laser idea (whatever laser is). Of course, in the future, the Keyblade will be laughing at him when he stares sheepishly at the damage it can wreck. But for now, the present: dicing, slashing, cutting, bashing… did I mention dicing?

However, just like last time, all the Heartless suddenly seize moving, and all pops into Corridors of Darkness as one, leaving behind a baffled and frustrated Naruto, a still unconscious Victor, and a wary corpse. The blonde shinobi did note how much faster they leave this time. There is someone controlling them that much is certain. But what are their objectives? What are they going after if not for the hearts of other? What makes them what they are? What in the bloody Kyuubi's name is chucking them up like bunnies in heat?

"…There they go again." Naruto grumbles as he dismisses Path of Redemption and turns around to stare at the bride. "Now what to do with you…?" He pauses, as he reviews the phrase in his head and mentally winces at how it sounded. "Let me reword that: now what do we do about the situation? Because I am sure as hell am not bringing you back to my hotel to rest."

The corpse bride blinks at him, and Naruto wonders if perhaps he said something wrong. Then she grins, and Naruto suddenly feels like he's just about to get suck into some very strange adventure.

XXXXXXXXXX

Alice, when she was little, always dreamed of how she's waiting for a prince to come and whisk her away. She dreamed of how a knight in shining armor will come and rescue her from Penelope's boring lectures and bring her to some castle somewhere in some magical land to rule over some fantastic kingdom. She always envisioned herself to be waiting for that someone in her life to come and take her away to some wonderful world.

Well, now Alice hates waiting, and she can't help but loath herself a little for thinking that way once. If she can, she'll go back in time and rip her younger self a new one. She hates waiting, because to wait is to do nothing, and to do nothing is to be of no help to those precious to you. She remembers the late night conversation over a cup of hot chocolate she had with Naruto during their stay in Radiant Garden. It is that conversation that forever destroyed her wish to wait.

"_You know… I hate waiting." Naruto suddenly blurred out as he shifted his shoulder a little, as if giving a small and weak shrug. "Waiting never does me any good. It never did, and it probably never well…"_

"_Why's that?" Alice had asked then, as she shifts her head from leaning on his shoulder to gaze at his face, eyes searching for any hint as to an answer to her question. All she saw is a blank visage that usually sported a large grin. "Brother?" The simple word that usually drew some sort of reaction from him did nothing this time, and Alice fidgeted a little under his large coat that he had at some point draped over her shoulder. It's very big, but very comforting._

"…_I learned at a very young age that waiting is a luxury that I can't afford. If I want something…" At this part, Naruto paused, and he lowered his gaze onto a large hand and clenched it into a fist. "If I want something, I'll have to work for it… If I want to protect something, I do not wait for the answers, and I do not wait for help to arrive. I will, however, search for the answers, and drag any help I can into the battle field. I do not wait, because I learned a long time ago that waiting never does anybody any good…" Then he blinked, as if finally waking up from whatever trance he is in, and then he grinned, a little too big to Alice, and simply patted her head. "Oh, what am I saying? You should be off to bed now. Aerith won't be happy with me if she finds out I let you stay up late."_

That is another aspect of life that she has come to hate. Alice hates Naruto's overly large grin. Every time he does that, she can see him putting up a sort of impenetrable wall over his heart, and she'll no longer be able to read his emotions. She can feel the darkness in him increase whenever he does that, and it always gives her a fright, never knowing if he'll just one day give up and surrender himself to it.

Still, thinking about her surrogate brother brings her back to the present and the reason behind all that: Naruto isn't back yet. She has sent him out to look over Victor a while ago, and that "while ago" is when the sun is still out. Now the sun is down, and the moon has already risen from the horizon. Yet she sees noting of him.

Not a single damned thing, and it is grating on her already fried nerve. For the record, Alice never finds herself this worried over somebody, because back then she always has someone to turn to in cases of trouble. But now, it's just Naruto and her, in this strange world where she knows no one, and him not even bothering getting to know anyone. Must be one of those shinobi thing, but it's still annoying that he never bother trying to have a conversation with anyone in this town except for her. It doesn't bother her as much, but she does hope that he can at least be a little more social.

Still, with no one to turn to and nothing she can do, Alice can only sigh as she crawls into a ball on her bed and stares out at the night sky.

XXXXXXXXXX

Emily really isn't sure what just happened. First there is the witness to her wedding, who is a rather imposing fellow that puts most men to shame (but not her Victor, never her Victor). Then there are those shadows like creatures, which the man used a giant KEY of all things to rip apart… and then the creatures disappeared without a trace. Now she's here, with him, and her rather unconscious husband, not entirely sure exactly what she should do. Well, she can always return to the World of the Dead, but what to do with him… She might as well start with formality then. "Ehehehe… I'm Emily… N-nice to meet you…"

"…" The blonde just stares at her before his cerulean blue eyes shift to Victor, then back to her once more. He scratches his head, mumbling under his breath about what he should do about her and Victor, seeing that he really can't just drag her away and she knows it. Not only would that be just plan rude to a lady (dead or not), but she's an unknown to him, and while she won't claim herself as an expert, she knows a soldier when she sees it. Meaning he has order to keep an eye on Victor, but nothing else about that. (1)

Emily contemplates bringing him with her to the World of the Dead, but one living there is enough in her opinion. Besides, there is no guarantee that he won't recall that giant key and rip all her friends to shred in fright. He has expressed enough aggression for her in one night to be convinced that he can cause untold destruction.

At that, the Power That Be silently chuckles, thinking that if only she knows just how much destruction he is capable of…

"Well… I suppose there really is nothing else I can do here is there?" The man asks, still hasn't yet told her his name, and Emily can only nod to answer his question. She really isn't sure what to do with him. "Hmm… so where are you taking him?"

Emily blinks at the absurd question. Now why should she answer him? For all she knows, he's dangerous, never mind the fact that he is the witness to their little impromptu wedding. "Well… to my home I suppose…" Now why did she go and do that? She has no obligation to answer him! ….But what's done is done, so can't really do much about it. Besides, she believes where she is going, he won't be able to follow for a long, long time… she hopes.

"Right… umm… oh right. Where's my manner? I'm Naruto." The man finally offers his name, and Emily smiles a little at the strange name. In her life, both living and dead, she has yet to hear of a name like that. Oh sure, there are strange ones like Hillfoot or Sander or even Silverworth. But never in her entire existence has she ever heard of a name like Naruto. It brings a giggle to her lips just thinking about it. "Why is it that people always finds my name funny?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I did not mean to laugh at you. It's just that you have a rather peculiar name." Emily explains, and all she gets in return is a face that practically screams "Yeah, I got that a lot" aimed at her. Once again, a giggle slips out of her at the strange name and the even stranger reaction; the thought that he may be dangerous has long fled her mind. "So, I assume that you're here because of Victor dear?"

"Well, yeah…" Naruto says as he rubs his head once more and his face scrunches up in thought. The Corpse Bride does not envy him, because if she's in his position, this is really a bothersome situation. "Um… I'm really not sure what I should do. Sure Victor is safe, but well…"

"Oh, I get it. It's me isn't it?" The way Naruto's face scrunches up even more is enough of an answer, and Emily doesn't fault him for trying to explain and not be rude. Honestly, she's surprised that he has yet to call her a demon spawn or whatever other rude names, and try to banish her to 'whatever hole she crawled from,' which by the way would be actually pretty ironic. She did crawl out from a hole in the forest, thank you very much, though she will not be returning to it. "Well, don't worry. I'll just take Victor with me. He'll be safe for where I'm going." Emily reassures the man, and suddenly flocks of crows start to circle around Victor and her. "Now, hopefully I won't be seeing you for a long, long time. Ta-ta!"

And just like that, she's gone, and when the flock clears, she's standing right outside the bar that welcomes new arrival. With a smile, Emily set foot inside, and gently place Victor on a stool, and then take in a large breath (even though she doesn't need it), and shouts, "NEW ARRIVAL!!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh crap, this is going to be a headache…" Naruto says as he watches the two disappear in a flock of crows. It's almost like shinshun, he marvels, but the lack of chakra puts that out of his mind. Besides, the dead can't have chakra… or at least in theory they shouldn't. Anyway, back to the problem at hand, how is he going to explain this to Alice? Actually, forget Alice, how is he going to explain this, period?

Speaking of Alice… He should probably head back, and he is very sure that by the time he arrives, he'll get an earful whether he likes it or not. Alice is a sweet girl that much is a certain, being a Princess of Hearts and a little naïve girl also make sure of that. Still, that doesn't mean she can't do harm because darkness doesn't necessary means evil and light doesn't necessary means good; he is a living representative of that. Anyway, about that tongue lashing…

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEING?!" Naruto winces at the voice level as he blinks at the fact that he is in front of the inn, and Alice is standing outside, dressed warm and holding a lantern. It seems she was just about to go search for him. "Do you have any idea what time it is? You have being gone for a long time! And not a single word!"

…When did she evolve from sweet little girl to crazy mother hen? Actually, forget that, how come she's not waking up all the neighbors? "Well, Alice, you see, there is a little complication…" With that, Naruto launches into his story. As he goes on, Alice's eyes only grew wider and wider, and the blonde shinobi half wondering if he can make them pop out, but decides that it's rather impossible. Besides, he likes them where they are right now.

After a few minutes of supposedly mind boggling explanation, Naruto finally finishes, and he carefully grudges Alice's reaction. So far, besides the wide eyes that blink rapidly, her face is rather blank…

"So let me get this straight… You were following Mr. Victor, who was very distressed over his failed rehearsal…"

"Yup…"

"And he was practicing his vow, and finally managed to do it properly."

"That's right so far."

"But when he slipped the ring onto what is supposed to be a piece of root, it turned out to be the hand of a dead woman, who then rose from her grave."

"Uh-huh."

"She claimed to be his wife because he proposed to her and actually slipped the ring onto her hand. So now he's gone somewhere and you have no idea what to do with it…"

"…That's pretty much it…" Naruto says at the way Alice sums it all up in a few sentences. The girl continues to stare at him rather blankly, and Naruto wonders if he'll wake up to find himself in a stray jacket. Her look seems to indicate that he will. "I'm not crazy, so don't even think about it." That sentence only seems to increase Alice's skepticism.

"Hmm… do you remember that you once commented to me that there are activities down below the town?" Alice suddenly asks, and Naruto blinks at the abrupt turn in conversation. Tilting his head, the older blonde nods positive, and Alice tilts her head back, lips pursed as hr minds work over what she is thinking of doing. "Too big to be pests, but too small to be human… Well, better hold on tight."

"Huh? Why?" Naruto asks, and his eyes widen in horror at the giddy grin on Alice's face. He knows that grin, because the last time he saw that grin, he was stuck with her on this crazy adventure. "Oh no. No, nonono! You will not!"

Alice just grins wider, and simply stomps her foot on the ground. Instead of the usual door that pops out near them, it appears directly below them. "Why brother, you wound me. I would never do anything that reckless."

"…The evidence says other wise." Naruto says, and then he hears the familiar click, and suddenly he finds himself standing in mid air. Right, note to self, never encourage her. "Damn you and your illogical thoughts…"

"But you love me anyway." Alice says, and the two suddenly find themselves in free fall. Well, at least Naruto can see the ground below… when it shouldn't have a ground below. In fact, it's not just a ground, it's an entire city. "Well what do you know, it worked!"

Naruto blinks, and he blinks again as his ears register that sentence over the wind. He wonders if it's part of his hallucination of falling to his death, but after seeing Alice's giddy grin, he quickly dismisses it. "YOU MEAN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT WORKS?!?!" Naruto shouts over the wind that whips at them as they continue their fall. Alice just giggles sheepishly, but that too is lost to the wind. Deciding that he can scold her later, Naruto quickly reaches over and holds the girl by the waist. Tugging her under his arm pit, he quickly goes through all his options. Shadow clones will work, but that will attract even more attention then a pair of blonde falling out of the sky, and right now, he doesn't want to deal with more attention.

Groaning to himself in desperation, he wishes that he can summon, but that too is too attention grabbing. What can he do? His control over wind chakra isn't enough to make him create a cushion, and he doubt that at the speed he is falling, he even can. Err… actually, the ground is approaching rather fast… Gah! Think, Naruto, think! What was that thing about air resistance?

A metaphoric light bulb goes off in Naruto's head, and in a moment, Path of Redemption appears in his out stretched hand. He starts to spin, all the while using wing chakra to create a greater surface area by channeling it through the Keyblade. He is almost like a giant router, and he is happy to note that indeed, their speed is no longer increasing, and is in fact slowly decreasing. The ground is still approaching rather fast though.

By some strange miracle, Naruto is able to decrease the speed enough to the point that he won't break his legs, so he quickly flips over and lands on his feet, jolting a squeak from Alice all in the same moment. **Kaboom! **The shinobi grits his teeth at the pain that shots through his legs before they simply turn numb, and then into jelly. That is how he finds himself face first in the ground a moment later, with a worried and apologetic Alice hovering above him. Like he asked before, when did she turn from a sweet girl to a mother hen? Oh, and do remind himself to add little rascal in there sometime in the future.

"WAAH! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that! It's just something I want to try out! I was curious! I'm very, very sorry! I won't do it again! Please say you're alright! I'm really sorry!" Naruto groans as Alice continues to puke out apologies. He wonders if she hasn't helped him up yet because she's too much in a panic or because she really doesn't know what to do. Groaning again, he flips himself onto his back and pants as he wonders just how high they have dropped from. He can see the damn sky… which is really more like the ceiling of a very large cave. Should he even be able to see that?

"Alice…" No response, just more droning and apologies. Well, it seems he really send her into a panic fit. "Alice…?" Still no response; she just keeps jabbering on and on. It reminds him of his younger day, when everything about shinobi is saving princesses (although he did save a priestess…), escorting lords (indirectly escorted the next ruler of Snow Country), and fighting off bandits and Missing Nins (beat the crap out of quite a bit of them though). Was he always that annoying? (2) "ALICE!"

"MEEP!" Naruto visibly winces at the squeak the girl emits. He never intended to be that harsh.

Sighing, he gently pushes himself to a sitting position, mindful of the pins and needles feeling in his legs, and turns to face the troubled girl. She looks like she'll cry any seconds now. "I'm fine. I don't blame you. I'm really okay, just need to rest a little. But promise not to do that again?" The squeal of happiness and the bear hug he get answered that. "Oof! Right, Alice, I need air!"

The hugs Alice dishes out really do rival in strength with Lee. At least this is much, much more enjoyable. …No, he is not a pedophile you bunch of creeps!

XXXXXXXXXX

Victor isn't exactly sure what to do with himself. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place to be more precise. Okay, fine, he fucked up big time, but really, can you blame him?

Yes… yes you can. He fucked up, period, end of story, and now he isn't sure how to cheer Emily up. Maybe going to see Victoria is the worst decision he could have made. Heck, even risking getting his neck twisted if better than that. At least he'll still have a wife to go back to if he dies. (3) Now the only problem is just what should he do? He can't simply waltz to her and say he is sorry right? I mean, not after a betrayal of that magnitude. That's like ripping her heart out, stomps on it, and then expects her to forgive him when he simply picks it up!

Jesus Christ, he really, really fucked it up. He is currently considering himself to be a lucky man that there has yet to be a mob searching for him, because Emily seems to be a very popular girl in the world of the dead. Of course, he shouldn't jinx himself, least he actually wants a mob out for his blood (or whatever body parts they're more fascinated about removing from his body). So that brings him back to his objective: gain her forgiveness one way or another before a mob actually does form.

Of course, that entitled actually finding his Corpse Bride. Thus far, Victor is failing rather miserably trying to locate his dead wife in the vast dead city. If only he knows where to look…

That is how Victor finds himself wondering the city, eyes searching left and right, half hoping he'll find Emily soon and half wishing he knows what to do. He is never much for comforting others, because truthfully, there is a lack of people to comfort in his home (besides him, because his mother can really rip a person to shred verbally). So not only does he not know where to find Emily, he also doesn't know how to approach her, let along how to comfort her. Ooh if only he knows what to do… and where she is. Hmm, didn't he already past this shop before?

"You know, it's strange to know that there is actually a city beneath the town…" An unfamiliar voice reaches his ears and Victor quickly turns to face it least it's a growing mob out to lynch him. Although the way the person voiced it is rather peculiar if it is indeed a mob. "It's much more colorful too. Hmm, I think I finally understand the picture's meaning."

"Oh dear, this place is much livelier than up there… Even if it's full of dead people…" Another voice, much higher pitched and young, says to the first voice. Victor finds this one much more familiar, but can't for the life of him place where he hears it… "Brother, you know… this place is rather… _dark_." Hmm, did she say brother? Oh, it's probably little Alice, that young girl who came into town with another that appears to be her brother… oh dear, she's not dead is she? And what's this about the city being, well, dark?

"You mean this place is of darkness?" The first voice that Victor deems as Alice's brother says, and then there is a period of silence. The young Van Dort strains his ears to try and catch whatever it is the two are saying, since it's rather interesting despite the fact that it's rude to eavesdrop. "Hmm… perhaps this is the bridge?"

"You never know until you find it I suppose… although if this world isn't the Bridge, I'm not sure where else to look. The universe is a large place, and there are numerous worlds." Bridge? What bridge? And worlds? What are they searching? The only bridge he knows of is the one that separates the town from the surrounding wood, and that's it. What other bridge could they be talking about? And about those worlds, is it even possible? "Hey brother? Where are you going?"

"Shh… let me see…" Oh dear, was he found out? If he is, maybe it's time to get out of there. But does he really have to? He has nothing to fear and nothing to hide. Still, maybe it's better to hide, Victor decides, and turns around and- "Boo!"

"WAH!?" **Thud-bam-bang-boom-crack…** "…Ow…"

"Oh dear, brother! What have you done to poor Mr. Van Dort?"

Perhaps running isn't always the best course of action huh?

XXXXXXXXXX

Sora is in a trouble. That trouble is Kairi, and Kairi is a trouble that is in a league of her own.

Huh? Getting killed by her? Oh no, that is not a trouble, that's Armageddon, and thank the Keyblade that she isn't doing so. And no, she isn't being moody with him or trying to bite his ears off. On the contrary, she is rather quiet, and just stares at him. That is right folks; STARES are him with this strange look on her face, as if she is pondering one thing or another regarding him. When he asks Riku about it, all he gets is a knowing smile and a shake of his head. He doesn't bother going to Donald or Goofy, not because they're not dependable, but because they'll be no help in this situation.

It is driving him up the wall, not because Sora doesn't enjoy getting some girl attention, but rather because it's rather unnerving for someone to keep staring at you with this strange look on her face! Umm… well, he'll just do what he does best: puts it aside (procrastination!) and get back to it later, for right now, they need to think of their best course of action. It works for school, so it'll work here… for the moment right? (4)

Agrabah is safe. There is only the occasional Heartless, which isn't strange because there will always be people who surrender themselves to darkness. There are no strange people trying to kidnap Jasmine and there is nothing that indicates some unknown threat brewing in the horizon.

Nothing, zip, nada, and unless you counts a happily married princess, there is nothing. Oh, and Genin offered to upgrade his Gummi Ship, but he turned him down, saying he like it just the way it is. Besides, what can he do with an Imperial Star Destroyer as Genin offers? It needs hundreds of people to run it, and he only has five, so you do the math.

Anyway, back on topic, they found nothing. So rather than staying a night as they did in Beast's Castle, they left rather quickly, saying that the faster they find Alice and whatever it is that needs their assistance (or meddling as Auron once said). You know, the usual: keyholes to seal, Heartless to smash, and maybe the occasional Nobodies to kick around. There are after all a rather large number of worlds out there, so the work is not really finished…

Oh crap, that just reminds Sora the fact that they have no idea where to search for Alice and the King. Well, might as well make a stop at Radiant Garden. Need to make sure Leon isn't hiding anything from him that may cause potential troubles. Oh, and also give Pooh a visit. He hasn't seen the cuddly bear for a while now… Hmm, maybe he should introduce Kairi to him? Oh, and let's not forget Tron. Wonder how that dancing program works for him. "Guys, we're going back to Radiant Garden."

"Huh? Why?" Riku asks from the co-pilot sit, raising one silver eyebrow at the brunette that not only saved the world twice, and also saved his ass from eternal emo-ness. "I thought we were looking for Alice."

"We are looking for Alice." Sora says as he punches in the coordinates for Radiant Garden. "I just want to see if I can squeeze some more information from Leon. I feel that he is holding back some information." Nodding to himself, the brunette grins as he sits back in the pilot sit. "Besides, I want to take Kairi to meet Pooh and Tron… Speaking of whom, are you sure you don't know why she keep staring at me like that?"

Riku raises the other eyebrow before he lets out a snort, and says, "Maybe she wants to get in your pants."

"Why would she want to get in my pants? They're way too big for her." The response, while innocent and very Sora like, still incites a laugh from Riku. He'll never get tired of Sora's innocent nature. "What?" Sora asks, lost as to why Riku is currently laughing like no tomorrow. Seriously, why would Kairi wants to wear his pants? She has her own.

"Hey guys, where are we going now?" The bell-like sound enters Sora's ears, and it brings a grin to his face like every time. Swirling around in his chair, Sora beams at the red hair teen that has been one of his two best friends since… well, practically forever. To him, it doesn't matter if she's some Princess of Hearts or the girl that can kick his ass any day of the week. To him, she's Kairi. "Sora? Why are you grinning like that?"

"The wise guy is grinning because he thinks you want to get in his pants." Riku answers, and in return gets a confused look from the dubbed wise guy and a flaming blush from the Princess. Let us not forget the Princess Death Glare™ she's aiming at him, but to Riku, it's all worth it seeing the type of reaction out of the two. Besides, the blush tells him all he needs to know about her take on that idea. To that, he roars with laughter, because his two best friends are just too fun to tease. "Hey, don't look at me like that. We all know it's true." Cue the increase in Princess Death Glare™ level. Hmm, maybe he'd gone too far?

"Why would she want that? Riku I told you, my pants are too big for her." Oh Sora, innocent and sweet Sora. Well, at least it helps Riku avoid a beating. Kingdom Hearts knows Kairi is no push over when she sets her mind to it. "Anyway, how are you doing Kairi? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering if we can make a stop at Radiant Garden. Somebody finished the last vanilla ice cream." Kairi says, her eyes accusing as they move from Sora to Riku. Although she knows for a fact none of them did it, since she's the one that actually finished it. The glare disappear the next instance as the girl just smiles and walks over to the control penal. "Anyway, so where are we going again?"

"Radiant Garden." Sora answers, and his grin stretches at the way Kairi's eyes light up in delight. He lives for those moments. It's one of the major reasons behind why he bothers fighting at all. "Oh, and Kairi, I have a few friends in Radiant Garden that I like to introduce you to. There is one catch." The brunette puts on a mock serious face, knowing that Kairi won't buy it, but will still play along. As expected, Kairi puts on a mock pout and leans forward just the slightest bit. "I hope you don't mind being inside a book."

If Kairi doesn't know any better, she would be introducing her face to the metallic floor of the Gummi Ship. It can't be helped really, as Sora is Sora, and she wouldn't have it any other way, and Sora knows it too. And he knows that she knows it, and she knows that he knows that she knows that he knows it. And Riku knows that they both know it and couldn't wait until they finally get together. But that's another problem for another time (or at least to Riku), since they have bigger problems to solve.

Yet for the time being, none of them care, for it's just them and an entire universe to play in.

"Hey guys? Are you hungry?"

"If you are, come to the kitchen. Ahyuk, Donald is making pasta."

Oh, and Donald's evil mutated pasta… Sora, Riku, and Kairi blink at that, look at each other, and quickly charge toward the kitchen, all the way screaming "NO DONALD!" How the duck ever creates mutated evil pasta that plans to take over the Gummi Ship is beyond them, but they will not risk the chance of reliving that a second time.

Other than that, the worlds are just fine.

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

That is that, and it's one of those chapters that just can't seem to be right… Hmm, must be all the plot bunnies jumping around in my head arguing with one another. I swear they're in heat, because they just keep coming, and I can't put them away until I'm finished with this chapter. Ugh, the humanity… too bad they're not real, or I'll probably get myself a bunny fur… something (and don't give me stuff about animal cruelty, I'm serious). Still, it's almost time for Naruto to get his own Gummi Ship (and probably crash it too), but that's all I'm saying for the moment.

Here are some things that I think should be explained:

1) Not really accurate, but she's Emily, and in her world there is no such thing as ninja (assassin, maybe, but not ninja). And of course, in the Elemental Countries, ninja might as well be soldier, so they were train to listen to order as one, but fight as shinobi. Meh, just bear with it.

2) People I speak of: Shion, Koyuki, and lots of random bandits and Missing Nins Naruto encountered.

3) When Victor lied to Emily about seeing his parents when he actually went to seek out Victoria.

4) Procrastination is bad kids. Do not do it if you can help it… And yes, I'm a hypocrite XD. Sue me!

Hmm… yup, that's all I can think of. If you have further questions, reviews/pm/e-mail it. I prefer reviews, they're much more long lasting (insert dreaming grin). Flamers aren't discouraged if they feel the need to… vent some anger. Just remember, I do the story my way, so if you feel the need to flame, save yourself some time and trouble and simply don't do it (beam innocently).

Well, until next time.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: (Insert Star Wars Theme) I do not own the series, and you know it. Now obey the force and read… (Wave hand) You will read this chapter.

XXXXXXXXXX

Victoria is in a crisis so out of this world that she simply doesn't know what to do. Well, she does, but it's just that it is so unlike her that she finds herself second guessing her own actions every few seconds. Yet at the same time, the knowledge that Victor is in danger forces her to continue. She likes the man damn it, and she'll see to it that he comes to no harm, married to a dead corpse or not!

…Oh son of a… If Victoria has a more lenient childhood, she would have been blurring her curses to the heaven for all she cares. Still, now that she remembers Victor is married, to a corpse of all things, she at least has some idea of what to do. The plan so far has been consisted of climbing out of the window and sneak away without her parents detection… and that's it. But now she has a plan of action, and she will not rest until she sees that it is done!

Thus gathering as much courage as she has, Victoria hurriedly marches toward the cathedral in the town. The pastor must have a way. They always have an answer, and in this case, it should be no difference. Besides, isn't it part of the church's duty to banish the wretched from where they came from? Well, she has something that needs banishing, and if the church refuses to help, she'll just find her own way of doing it, even if it means bleeding herself dry just so her blood will wash away the corpse's soul.

She will get Victor back, or so whoever is up there helps her because she damned well will try.

XXXXXXXXXX

Victor feels joyous! The siblings aren't dead! They just manage to find a way into this world of the dead. Don't ask him how they did it, because they aren't willing to part with that information for some reason. He can understand too, because he is already looking at them as if they're crazy. The little stuff about a bridge and worlds from before is strange as it is. He doesn't need new stuff to add to his already aching head. Of course, just because they're not dead, doesn't quite excuse them from almost killing him. He smacked his head enough in one day, so he doesn't need any more thank you very much. Although is it rather amusing to see the smaller blonde thrash the older one with a tongue lashing.

Still, one way or another, Victor Van Dort finds himself confessing his trouble to the strange blonde duo. They are rather good listeners, he'll admit, and so far all he gets in return are snickers from the older blonde and sympathetic look from the younger one. Is that actually any better? Victor likes to think it is, because at least it's better than getting locked in a stray jacket or get strangled for one thing or another. Is he losing his mind? Probably, considering just how well he is taking in all these. Hmm, maybe on the edge, because insane people don't know they're insane… or so he heard, so he is probably ready to go over the edge.

Well, back to the issues at hand, Victor finds himself some help in the guise of Alice. Bless the sweet girl; she makes his trouble seem so simple. Just be himself she says, and that is exactly what he'll do. It's simple, but effective. (1) Now he just needs to find her… Wait, he hears barking. That's right, he has Scrap! He can help him find Emily, Victor knows it.

Now he just needs to find his dog instead of his wife. To do so, Victor employs the oldest trick in the book that seems to almost always work with dogs: he whistles and then he shouts. "Scrap! Come here boy!" Figuring that it might take a while for him to answer, Victor turns around to face his two acquaintance, and asks, "So, how did you two get down here exactly again?" The man asks, and chuckles sheepishly at the tick that developed on the older blonde's –Naruto he reminds himself- head. It does not look pretty, and if Victor thinks he isn't scary enough with his tall status and obviously trained body, then the way those cerulean blue eyes narrow at him brings his level of fear to another league. It's like he is being stalked by a predator. "Ehehehe… right, you won't say. Forget I asked."

"Oh don't worry about him. I think he's just deprived of something." Alice says, and Victor starts to worry for her when Naruto's eyes shift to her instead. If he wants to, Naruto can easily crush Alice, and they all know it, yet Victor can tell she isn't afraid. "Although I never know what he is deprived of… What are you deprived of brother?"

"…How the heck did I end up in this situation again?" Naruto asks to no one in particular, and Victor wonders why he is even in that situation in the first place. Seriously, how did they end up in this situation? And for some strange reason, the blonde duo is taking the news of being in a City of the Dead rather well… Oh? Is that barking he hears?

"Scarp!" Turning around, Victor grins at his dead dog, and quickly slump in defeat at the bouquet of flower in his mouth. It seems his dog knows him better than he anticipated. "Oh Scrap, I was hoping you can help me with… well, it seems you know…" Several barking is his answers, and Victor scratches his head trying to decipher them. He wonders if there are people in the world that can actually understand dog-speak, or canin-ese, or whatever they call dog's language besides barking. "Um, I'll take that as a yes?" A few more barks and Victor knows that Scrap isn't likely to turn on him and bite his ass. Victor always know his dog is more intelligent than most, so he wouldn't be too surprised if Scrap suddenly assaults him over something. "Right, it seems I'll be finding Emily rather soon. Hopefully I can gain her forgiveness… is something the matter?"

Victor's question is due to the fact that Alice is frowning with worry at Naruto, who is staring at Scarp with a rather blank face. Blank, as in completely void of emotion; not even the slightest twitch can be found. "…Hmm, just some old memories…" Victor frowns at the way Naruto answers, and he must agree with Alice on the fact that it is cause for some concern. Just then, he bears witness to one of the largest smiles that ever graced his life; he is tempted to wince. "Well, nothing to worry about. Let's go and find this bride of yours. I have an idea just who it is. I am also hoping that it might leads to some… answers to some of my questions."

Victor doesn't buy it, and appearance Alice doesn't either. Even Scrap is whimpering at it. Something isn't right with Naruto, and Victor wonders what it is. He certainly looks normal enough, but there is just this air around him and Victor couldn't quite place it… Hmm, Alice is whispering something to Naruto. What it is, he can't say, nor is it any of his business to be quite frank.

He just hopes that it isn't going to cause him trouble in the future. He has enough on his plate as it is.

XXXXXXXXXX

To Naruto, the City of the Dead -or as Victor so kindly dubbed it as "Down Stair"- is just another place to go. Another place to see, another place to sate his curiosity, and of course, another place to save as it seems Heartless activities do indeed exist here. Oh what is he thinking? Heartless supposedly exist everywhere, because light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa. A shadow cannot exist without a light source, yet a shadow must have a light for it to exist. It's a strange philosophy, but it confusingly makes sense. Quite an oxymoron and so far, Naruto tries not to think about it. Leave it to those who study how the universe work and he'll do the dirty work for them.

Dirty work? Pssh, whatever you want to call it, because whatever it is, he's doing the work of somebody else's. After all, that is what the Keyblade implies right? And it appears this world is his depute into the "saving the worlds" business. Now he just needs to figure out what needs to be done. He saved people, villages, and even city, but never the world, let along WORLDS.

First, to understand some bits of it, he must find Emily, because she seems to be connected to the whole thing somehow. Or he needs to stick with Victor, because he may be what will help Naruto finds what he needs to do. Or he could seek out someone who knows the inner working of this particular world.

Nah, he has Victor, so he'll see how things turn out. There really is no point trying to explain his action, because in truth he really never has a plan in the first place. Naruto, as stated before, is a man who thinks on his feet, never on his behind (and if you ever hinted that he thinks with 'junior' he'll accuse you as a pervert). Life is too full of surprises to plan it out, and for Naruto who attracts trouble like honey attracts bees, that statement is always true. Thus can you really say you're surprised that Naruto decides to see what happen now?

Oh, and let's not forget the fact that he has someone to look after, so he can't really wonder off to some unknown places when his charge is in also rather unknown territory now can he? Still, he walks a few steps behind Victor, who is engaged in a conversation with Alice, just so he can keep him in his vision. One of those pesky shinobi rules: always keep the target/client in sight… Why is he treating this like a mission? He really is deprived of his ramen for too long.

That, or old memories are starting to haunt him in new ways. Well whatever. "So where are we… Alice? Victor?" Naruto asks when he finds the lack of the conversation the two of them are having. Right now, it is just him in some empty street that is more of an alley way than street. He must have zoomed out, because they must have take a turn somewhere and he didn't follow… And judging by the fact that they have yet to come looking for him, they either doesn't know that he is also gone, or they're too busy with something to really bother. "Well, so the question now is to retrace my steps or go up the roof."

_**You shall choose neither, but straight ahead… You cannot look back, for the past is the past, yet there is no shortcut, for what may come will eventually be.**_ Hearing that, Naruto couldn't help but sigh. There is the voice that is helpful, yet not helpful at the same time. The same voice that dump him into this in the first place… or maybe it's his own fault? Hmm, nah, if it's anyone's fault, it's partially his dad's and partially Kyuubi's… should have hit them both harder (2). Oh, and can't forget Madara. Nope, can't forget him.

Blaming game aside, Naruto looks up into the 'sky,' wishing that he has some sort of map even if he sucks at reading them. It seems that his life is never simple. Still, better find those two before they get lost trying to find him… and he seriously doubt Victor knows where he is going, so let's not even get started on Alice right?

Right.

Sighing once more, Naruto decides that whatever is it, the voice talks to him for a reason. Nothing happens without a reason, and Naruto can only resign himself to that fact (and Jiraiya pounds that into his head pretty hard). Besides, he has a colossal fox sealed into his stomach by a death god, so what's to say there isn't a higher power controlling just about everything? …Does that mean he has to find Neji and apologize about the whole deal during the Chunnin Exam?

…Hmm, he likes the Hyuuga better without him sprouting all that stuff, so nope, not going to happen. Besides, where is he supposed to find a dead guy?

Blinking to himself, Naruto wonders when had his mind goes off on a tangent. It must be his deprived resource of ramen… coming to think of it, he hasn't had ramen since… since before chasing Madara down… "Right Naruto, focus on the tasks at hand. Can't go berserker on people now just because I didn't have my supply of ramen right?" Naruto nods to himself, as if to reassure that he isn't perhaps a little over the deep end, and starts walking forward, as the voice suggested as well as ignoring the fact that he'd just talked to himself. There really isn't anything to lose over this now is there?

Nope, at least he doesn't see anything to lose.

XXXXXXXXXX

Even though walking forward is what he said… Naruto resists the urge to pounds his head into a random poor wall. He is lost, no if, but, when, or what. It is a simple fact, the truth, the whole truth, the truth of truth, the absolute truth, the horrible truth, the complete truth, nothing but the truth, and the 'so true that it hurts to admit that it is true and if the author typed true one more time he'll shoot himself' true.

…Jiraiya did say that he was never one with directions…

That thought brings a small, sad smile onto his face, but Naruto quickly shakes it away and focus on the task at hand: finding the right place to turn. The question is where is the 'right place' as he deems it? Everywhere looks the same, and that is a very, very big problem. This is actually the first time that he has ever been to a place that looks… well, the same! Oh sure there are different buildings and stores and all the other stuff, but no matter where he turns or which way he choose, he always seems to return to the same spot. It makes him feel like he is trapped in some genjutsu, and that isn't possible because no one uses chakra here, and even if they do, he'll at least feel some disturbance and notice the difference. It is always the little details that give genjutsu away, and so far, he has yet to pick up subtle little hints of any genjutsu… That, and he already try the dispel method, and nothing happens.

So now that leaves Naruto with a problem. You may ask how come he hasn't jump onto the roof top and look for his missing companion already. That is because he doesn't need to attract attention to himself by leaping over rooftops from one building to another. Even though the place is filled with dead people, there is a limit to how much you can get away with. It's one of Master Yen Sid's lessons: you can only get away with so much in a world, and until you know the degree to which you can, it is best if you just stick to being a normal human being (insert an all-knowing-grandfatherly smirk directed at Naruto that pisses him off somehow and earned a giggle fit from Alice).

Besides, corpses don't fly or leap great distances, and from what he'd already seen so far, these corpses certainly don't.

…Err, he is getting off topic. Back on the track, what can he do? No jumping on the roof. No summoning even if he wants to. He has nothing to use as a signal. He sucks as a tracker (meaning he is better than average people, but sucks compare to ninja), because then he wouldn't be lost in the first place. Well, that just leaves him with one last option: keep walking.

"…This is really starting to get old…" Naruto says to himself as he continues to walk between alleys and seemly empty streets. Actually, this one is different. He is heading towards a dead end. Naruto knows that he should turn around and head the other way, yet there is something pulling him towards the dead end. The blonde decides then and there that it is one of those things that he should pay attention to more often because his gut instincts actually wants him to go there. Said instinct saved his ass plenty of time in the past, so if it says to go, then who is Naruto to deny it?

What he didn't expect to find though is a double door that seems to be engraved into the dead end, which is actually a cliff that overshadow this particular place. It is strange to see something like that. It almost looks as if it is craved from the wall itself and if not for the fact that there are two handles and that dusts on the bottom is being disturbed by something, he would have believed it to be craved from the wall. Still, what is a door doing here? Where does it lead to? What is it keeping in, or keeping out for that matter? How did it get here? Is he the only one to notice it? Who puts it here?

So many questions zoom in his head, round and round, each one egging him to try and answer that question by opening it. In fact, it'll be easy. All he needs to do is tap Path of Redemption against it a few times, maybe points it at the door, and it'll be unlocked. He'll be able to answer some of his questions. He'll be able to see just what is so special about the door that his gut instinct pulls him here.

"Ah, I see you find the door." An old, slightly raspy voice says from behind him, and Naruto yelps before turning around and gets into a defensive stance. The blonde blinks at the bend-over skeleton that looks old and battered before blinking at the keyblade that rests in his hand. He never remembers summoning the key. "Oh ho, such a spirited one you are. Yes, a very spirited one indeed. A shame you are amongst the living. You will do well for an apprentice. I see knowledge in your eyes child."

Silence greets the old corpse as Naruto regards him warily. Not much can sneak up on him, and even if they are dead, he can always feel a sort of SOMETHING there. Yet this guy manages to get close without him knowing? Either he is too lost in thought, getting dull in his skills, or he is just that good.

The literally old bags of bone chuckles as he waves a skeletal hand in a disarming gesture and says, "Relax, I'm not going to bite you." Then as an after thought, the skeleton chuckles to himself and shrugs his shoulders, "Besides, what can an old corpse like me do to you?"

"Okay… who are you?" Naruto asks as he lowers his stance, but never lowering his guard. You never know what might happen, and being a ninja means to never judge anything by its appearance.

"Oh me? You can just call me Gutknecht if you must." The old man says as he humbles up to stands next to Naruto and faces the door. "Once again child, you manage to find the door."

"So what's this door about?" Naruto asks as he too turns to face the door while shouldering the Path of Redemption. "This looks really old."

"Hmm… I do not know who built it or with what purpose in mind, but I can tell you child, that you are not ready to set foot into it." Gutknecht says as he jabs a bony finger at Naruto, his eye sockets seem to narrow and the blonde shinobi actually gulps at the way the light seems to dim around him. Then the old man brightens up as he turns back to the door once more and chuckles. "Of course, just ignore an old man rumbling on by himself. This door has being here for a long while now, and nobody pays any mind to it any more."

Then a loud ringing sound disrupts the otherwise very quiet moment, and both Naruto and Gutknecht turns to the source it. Naruto raises an eyebrow when Gutknecht chuckles and shakes his head good naturally. Seeing Naruto's unspoken question, the old skeleton chuckles again as he starts to hobbles over toward it while saying, "Heh, new arrival. Come child, let us leave this gloomy place and enjoy life or unlife as it is eh?"

"Eh?" Naruto breaths out as he watches the old man travels faster than expected for someone of such age and status. Blinking a little, he shrugs while thinking that perhaps he'll find whoever it is he is looking for there. Besides, it is supposed to be a party, so it's bound to attract attention right? Well, with that established, Naruto also sets out after the strange old skeleton.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Note to self, never get lost again…" Naruto mumbles to himself as he continues to sit through the long lecture that Alice is currently forcefully pounding into him. It's not so bad really, but does she have to do it in the middle of a freaking party? Seriously, they're here to welcome the new dead guy (although that sounds kind of weird considering that they're… well, alive and kicking). He is positively sure that no one wants to hear this lecture.

"And just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean you can simply wonder off." Alice says and pause as she takes a few second to catches her breath. "And another thing, you shouldn't leave a defenseless lady such as me alone with someone who can't seem to defend himself."

"H-HEY!! I RESENT THAT!"

Well… aside from Victor, the rest seems to enjoy the chewing out he is being dealt with. It seems that besides partying, the dead likes to see other's misery. Well, misery loves company as poor Victor learns very fast. To be called rather useless by a little girl (even if she didn't mean it nor did it intentionally) hurts. Still, aside from the situation on his hand, Naruto can't help but smile.

Here he is, surrounded by dead people, yet he feels relaxed. He doesn't feel stressed or tense or any negative emotion whatsoever. Everyone is merry making and having a jelly good time. It brings a small smile to his face, knowing that if he ever dies someday, this may be one of the scenes that greet him even if wherever he will perish isn't this place. It also helps to perish some of his worries about his precious people. They're dead, and if this is any indication of being dead, then maybe, just maybe, they are indeed in a better place.

But still, they're dead. That fact continues to plague him. Even though he made peace with some demons, there are still many within him that he lacks neither the will nor the courage or the desire to face them. Why should he face them? He blames himself for their death, and it is justly so that he shoulders the blame as it is in fact his fault that they died. They died protecting him, who holds the Kyuubi, which is the reason why he was even targeted in the first place. He should have been stronger, because at least then, he can defeat the Akatsuki long before Pein set foot into Konoha. He should have been faster, because if he was then he could save many people from the horrible and cruel death that befall them. He should have been smarter, for then he would have learn faster what he needs to combat his enemies and protect his loved ones.

"You're brooding again…" A sudden weight on his back snaps Naruto out of his thoughts. Turning slightly, he sees Alice hugging him from behind while resting her chin on one shoulder, her eyes staring out at the party that is going on. She looks depressed, and Naruto wonders what could possibly bring the usual perky and cheerful girl down like this. Then Alice's words hit him like a ton of brick: he is brooding again. "You know? It's not healthy to brood for so long."

Hmm… that sounds just like what he told Sasuke a long, long time ago… It felt like an eternity, but he can still remember it clear as day.

"_You know? It's not healthy to always be brooding like that." Twelve years old Naruto said as they clean up a river on another boring D-rank mission. It's just like how it used to be before the invasion, except this time, Kakashi isn't with them. "You have been doing that a lot more lately…"_

"_What are you talking about?" Sasuke grunted out as he speared another empty can with excess force and dumped it into the basket strapped to his back. "Who says I'm brooding." The dark Uchiha said as he headed off to another section of the river, his refusal to talk obvious to even a blind person. It reminded Naruto how he used to be before the Wave mission._

"…_Whatever." The blonde mumbled softly and a little dejected as he too returned to the task at hand. He'll have other chance to crack the stubborn bastard open._

"_NARUTO! COME HELP ME DAMN IT!"_

"_COMING SAKURA-CHAN!!"_

A silence falls between the two, and Naruto unconsciously starts to rock back and forth. Alice has at some point shifts herself onto Naruto's lap and has made herself comfortable there, leaning back into his shoulder. They just observe the party going on around them. They watch as Emily laugh with the women and Victor firing questions at the newly dead guy. They listen to the band playing a cheerful tune while the bartender Paul (as he introduce himself to the newly dead) busy around the counter serving drinks.

For some reason, Naruto finds his mind to be on other subjects other than his friends' death and those that are still alive. He doesn't question their well being or their safety, simply having faith in their ability to take care of themselves. He used to worry a lot about them… Maybe Alice has something to do with this…?

…Hmm, perhaps it is time that they continue on their journey… "Alice… we're going back to the hotel."

A simple "Okay" is his reply, and Naruto knows that the girl feels the need to get away for some reason. It is probably homesickness, because her home in Wonderland tends to be quite cheerful and happy (even with Penelope's strictness). Being here and seeing all these people must have remind her of times when she is simply having fun in the mansion with nothing to worry about. There are no darkness threatening to devour worlds, no Heartless to beware of, no evil that wants to control everything. All there is is just a simple little girl who has fun causing trouble for her sister. Maybe they should make a trip there in the near future…

As they slowly make their way out of the pub and into the empty street, Naruto gives Alice another small glance. Sure enough, she has this far away look on her face that is definitely homesickness. The blonde shinobi is familiar with this particular sickness of the heart because he himself have felt it only but a few years ago, and he is also feeling it now, except he kept himself busy to avoid thinking about it. Perhaps he needs to keep the princess on her toe, at least until he can convince her to return home…

"Well, here looks like a good place. Can you make it so we appear in our room?" Naruto asks the younger blonde, who simply nod, concentrate, and then lightly stomps her foot onto the ground. Like before, a door simply erupts from the ground and Alice steps forward and pushes it open. The two then quickly walks inside, leaving the empty street of the City of the Dead behind as they steps into their hotel room. The two are slightly surprised however to see the sun up and shining brightly. "It looks like we'd stay down longer than we thought…" (3)

"…Hmm, I think I'll head to bed and sleep for a bit." Alice says as she shuffles over to her bed and simply lies down on it, seeing as she sort of got into the city in her night gown. A good thing it's rather conservative… and Naruto's cloak is large enough to keep most stuff hidden anyway. "Good night brother." With that, the girl turns away and faces the wall. As for Naruto, he doesn't want to sleep for some reason. He feels refreshed and strangely energetic. It's either because he has put his demons away for a bit or because of the cheery atmosphere of Down Stairs. Whatever it is, he doesn't feel tired.

So rather than trying to force himself to sleep, Naruto quietly leaves the room and walks into town just in time to see Everglot opens their door to usher in guests. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto wonders over and stands close enough to listen in, but not so close as to be suspicious. What he hears surprised him, because it seems that while Victor is… unavailable, someone has stepped in and takes his place. Some Lord… Carcus or Barkis or something is going to replace Victor as the groom and marry the girl Victoria. Well, that's as much as he is able to gain from their conversation, because most of the time all he hears is how shameful Victor ran off and how disgraceful of something Victoria did or how this and how that and blah, blah, blah.

Thinking that what he gets is enough and it really isn't much of his business, Naruto puts that piece of information away, shrugs and starts off toward the location of the chapel in a slow walk. He wonders where that 'new arrival' Mayhew is buried or to be buried. He may as well go and pay his respect right? It doesn't matter that he knows for a fact Mayhew seems to be better off dead (not in a negative sense), it is simply common courtesy to pay your respect to someone even if you just met him but an hour or two ago… or at least that what he thinks. Naruto isn't sure what other thinks about it, but the blonde shinobi is determined to pay his respect.

With that enforcing his decision, Naruto approaches the church, hands in pockets, and mentally whistling a cheerful tune.

XXXXXXXXXX

After trying miserably to fall asleep, Alice sits up, a blank look on her face as she stares at the door that Naruto left in. The princess finds herself feeling extremely down, as contrary to her own usual cheerful, shinny and optimistic attitude.

She misses her cat Diana. She misses Penelope and her strike lectures and silent but loving nature. She misses the cook's French accent and his beaming smile. She misses the head maid's humor and motherly atmosphere. She misses her tutor's lax attitude and her strange teaching methods. She misses the musky smell of the library and the large portray of her father hanging high up on a wall.

She misses home…

Sighing, the girl throws her covering aside and walks toward her discarded dress. With a mental command, she shifts it into a dark blue color, adds some puffiness to the skirt, and makes the neck a turtle neck. The sleeves remain long, except this time she adds a little extra material on the end to act as collar.

Walking into the bathroom connected to the room, Alice quickly puts on the dress, combs her hair, goes through the usual hygiene, and just when she is about to leave the room, she stops at the mirror nailed to the wall. Alice blinks at the girl that stares back at her, and she wonders when her hair grew this long. The bangs that usually only reaches her eyebrows are nearly covering her eyes. She concludes that it probably started growing out during Naruto's arrival. She hardly remember of a time she has a spare moment to examine her hair after his arrival.

"_Ah, your hair is getting a little long again…" Penelope says as she fingers a lock of Alice's bangs. The girl just blinks, shrugs, and smiles at her sister._

"_Whatever you say, dear sister. Now may I please go play?" The younger sibling asks the older, who just sighs at the fact that even if she refuses, she'll still go anyway._

"_Fine. Just don't bother Naruto too much."_

"_Now why would you think that I would bother him? I'm just going to play, 'tis all." Penelope doesn't need to think it. She knows it. The two are almost inseparable… well, the girl is almost anyway._

The princess giggles at the memory as she reaches up and gently tucks a lock behind her ear, wondering whether she should get more hair pins or just get a hair cut. Then just as suddenly as her thoughts land on her hair, they land on the person that she has been with for the past several weeks.

She really isn't sure what to make of Naruto any more. Alice can easily tell when his darkness fluctuates, and that worries her more than anything. However the blonde girl couldn't help but think upon the sudden fluctuation of light yesterday. During that little period, her hearts flatters, because his aura is so warm… It that what he feels like before whatever it is that makes him this way? He is so warm, so… unmovable, it makes her feel untouchable as long as he is standing in front of her, protecting her.

…She likes that feeling.

XXXXXXXXXX

King Mickey really, really isn't sure if he is in some sort of weird dream. Maybe he lost his mind somewhere along the line of saving the universe, and only now is he seeing the effect. Maybe he is in some sort of illusion that is too real to be safe. Maybe he is suffering from too much whack to the head from… well, whatever did whacked him over the head.

"Right… just what AM I looking for?" The smaller-than-averaged-sized king asks himself as he scratches his head on the Gummi ship Master Yen Sid had somehow teleported to his castle. He could always check on the other princesses first, but Sora probably already done that. He could try and track down Maleficent to see if she is up to no good, but that means he actually has to find away back into the World That Never Was. (4) There is no way that he will open the Door to Darkness… well; no way unless it was some REALLY good reasons… Like Alice somehow winding up there on that side ("Gosh, I hopes not.").

Of course, not being able to go to the Realm of Darkness doesn't mean he can't go search for her, but Master Yen Sid said not to worry about it, that she is in very capable hand (and this is said with that all-knowing-grandfatherly smile that somehow makes Mickey kind of annoyed). So that left the king with little to nothing to do except to go around and seek out keyholes to seal. Just because there aren't any major threats doesn't mean that the universe is a safe place to be. However, the lack of Heartless and Nobody activities bother him… "I wonder if Sora has the same thoughts…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Off on another place in the universe, or really just Radiant Garden, Sora is indeed worrying over the lack of Heartless and Nobody activities. Sure there are the local variations wherever he goes, but it's too quiet especially with the disappearance of a Princess of Hearts.

Hmm… well, back to the present. Let's see what else he needs to do for the day. Buy vanilla ice cream, check. Check supply, check. Have a verbal fight with Riku, check. Restock food, check. Harass Leon and the newly appeared Cloud for information, check. Bring Kairi to meet either Pooh or Tron… oh, that's what he forgets.

Taking a glance at the clock, Sora sighs at the fact that it's a little late now to be going to either of the two places. It's almost dinner time, and he'll be damned if he missed out on a meal. Can't save the universe on an empty stomach right? (5)

That is how in a few minutes later, Sora finds himself in the company of the Restoration Committee and friends, gathered in Tifa's bar Seventh Heaven, and having a blast eating. Tifa's cooking is one of the best in the universe!

During the fun and chaos, Sora also wonders just how long this will last. There is this Jailer guy who is out there somewhere, doing whatever it is he is doing. Alice is still missing, with no lead whatsoever as to where she might have gone. King Mickey is also missing, left to search for the Jailer. Maleficent is being too quiet for his taste, and same goes for the Heartless and Nobodies. There is always this sense of foreboding in the back of his mind, yet it is not a sense of doom or dread. Everyone in the Restoration Committee seems to be keeping something from him and his crew (saying friends would mean including everyone in the room when he is just referring to a few selected individuals), and he doesn't like that one bit. Especially Leon and Merlin, who seem to steal glances at him with this contemplating and calculating look in their eyes.

He really, really needs to find a way to get them to either spill the beams, or get this feeling of suspicion off his back.

"Hey Leon, what do you think Naruto is doing right now?" Yuffie's voice suddenly breaks into his thought, and the fact that the entire room pretty much falls silent catches his attention too. Of course, the fact that Leon just palms his face help Sora cement the fact that this is something he definitely WANTS to know. As for the ninja that blurs it out… "…Err, oops? Is there any possible way to convince you to forget about that mess?"

"Hmm, I don't know Yuffie. This sounds very interesting." Sora says as he shifts his chair over to sit next to Leon and leans towards the older male. "Now… tell me about this Naruto guy…"

XXXXXXXXXX

If looks can kill, Yuffie would be six feet under, Sora would be shark food, and somewhere in the universe, Naruto would be ground meat for being the cause of all these problems… But as it turns out, Leon's look can't kill, so tough luck for him. But as it turns out, any attempt to divert Sora's attention fails, and now he finds himself under the intense stare of the Keybearer.

"Well, what is this about a Naruto…?"

Great, now Riku has joined in. What is it with teenagers? Is it really that important to know this Naruto person? They do know the phrase "curiosity kills the cat" don't they? Why can't they just leave him along and let him eat in peace?

"Oh, do tell. I'm rather curious as to why this Naruto person can hush a room this quickly."

"…Kairi, not you too…"

"Eehehe… I suppose this would be a bad time to say I'm sorry?" Yuffie chirms in, and Leon couldn't help but regret the choice of not kicking Yuffie off into space on her way to Naruto. What did he do to deserve this?

Well, the thing is, once you let the cat out of the bag, it's out. So he might as well come clean and fess up. It might save him some troubles later (or it may just as well do the opposite). Besides, what is the worst that can happen?

Leon will admit though, his caving in is mostly due to the fact that this might get Sora to stop hounding his ass. It has nothing to do with the fact that he finds the constant internal debate on whether or not to tell them bothersome. It has nothing to do with the fact that Sora's predatory smile, Riku's tilted smirk, and Kairi's candy grin is all but disturbing. And it definitely has nothing to do with the fact that all three teens are fingering their keyblades.

Nope, it has nothing to do with any of those, not at all.

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

Well, sorry for taking so long. I think my muse died on me again… or maybe it's just me not being satisfactory with the chapter. I think this is another chapter that refuse to be good. Somehow, I find myself stuck… don't know how. It never really occurred much before. Hmm, maybe I'm just being too critical on myself?

Either way, hope you enjoy it even though I really do think it can be better (but I don't know HOW!!). Of course, it's partially due to the fact that I'm debating whether to end the whole Corpse Bride arc here, or in another chapter. Looks like details and development wins over wanting to get to some fun part. Hmm, I do hope this doesn't affect my performance too much. Internal debates really do suck.

I won't even pull out the college card. Nope, I won't (even though I have to do a lot of studying, crap loads of homework, and all those little things that demand my attention… OH THE HORROR! THE HORROR!!!). Nope, absolutely won't.

Anyway, here are some things that I think should be explained:

1) One of my mottos in life: Simple, yet effective. It's true, because sometime the best solution is a simple one. Over complication just makes life difficult don't you agree?

2) If you are keeping up with the manga, you'll know what the whole hitting business is. Besides, I'm actually surprised Naruto didn't lay it all out on his old man. I mean seriously, a punch to the stomach? That's it? At least in the face! As for hitting Kyuubi, refer back to chapter 1!!

3) Victor disappeared for about a little more than a day, spamming from the moment he disappears to the moment he resurface for his and Emily's proper wedding. The wedding of Victoria and Lord Barkis takes place the morning after Victor disappears. So that makes it directly the next day. Mayhew died at about near dawn, so give it an hour or two or more of partying, and you'll have morning.

4) Remember people, they sealed the Door to Darkness, meaning they can't go to WTNW because it is in the Realm of Darkness unless they open it. Door to Light doesn't work because 1) they don't know where it is, and 2) I figure it's a sort of 'one-way' thing, or else they'll just call it the Gate instead of DTD and DTL right?

5) Guess who else said a sort of variation of this. Here are some hints: he is buff, used to have a tail, eats a lot, and of course is one of the most powerful guys in the entire anime universe.

That is about it. I was thinking about making an omake as a sort of apology, but I find myself with no material to make fun of without giving out spoilers (at least nothing brilliant struck me as of yet).

Once again, sorry for the delay. Any comments are welcome, be it praise, critiques, ideas, or questions that you want some answer to given that it doesn't contain spoilers (even though I just might give some anyway).

Well, HAVE FUN!!!

PS: See that big, shiny bottom called "Review this story/chapter?" Doesn't it just tempt you to push it?


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Me no own… like to, but can't. I'm not smart enough or motivated enough to create something like those franchises.

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Penelope absent mindedly flips another page for the book she is supposedly reading. Of course, supposedly is the keyword here, because one, she read that book a long time ago, and two; she can't seem to concentrate at all recently.

Penelope knows perfectly well what is keeping her from concentrating on what needs to be done. Keeping a mansion running is hard work for one person, and that is without additional worry clouding over her minds. Priority needs to be set after all, because the house won't run itself. And let's face it, there is no way Penelope believes a sentient house exists nor does she want to make it so. (1)

Still, even though priority needs to be set, Penelope happens to choose her sister over her house, her fortune, or anything she possesses. Alice is the motivation that drives her to keep things running smoothly, because in doing so, she can ensure to keep Alice safe, happy, and most of all, care free. A happy Alice means a happy Penelope. A healthy Alice means a happy Penelope. A well fed Alice means a very Happy Penelope.

A missing Alice means a depressed Penelope.

A depressed Penelope means neglecting the mansion, and neglecting the mansion means things won't run smoothly. Thankfully, the house's staff is competent to keep the place tidy and running as smooth as a well-cared for pocket watch. Penelope's constant strictness only motivates the staff to work harder, and the house's matriarch knows that.

As Penelope's hand automatically flips another page, her minds wonder towards the girl that she alone reared from birth. Her mother's death hit her hard, and then her father's sudden illness nearly pushed her over the edge all those years ago. When her father died, she really did almost lose it. It's only little Alice, who was a little over one years old then, keep her together. She has become the matriarch of the house the day her father fell ill. He knew it, she knew it, and most of all the staff knew it. Imagine that, a measly ten years old taking over the running of her family business, and she's not even a boy. (2)

Again, during then, she was put under constant pressure to excel other's expectation. She putted up with her relative's reluctant supports as well as pitying eyes. She dealt up with other snobbish noble's condescending remarks and mocking attitudes. She endured the hardships required to make ends meet, signing contracts that were mostly pitted against her, making business that shouldn't have any profits at all, and giving out orders especially when little people were willing to listen to her.

But she survived all of that, just so she can keep Alice safe, healthy, and happy.

Now look at her, one of the most influential and desired women in the entire continent. She has suitors coming almost every week to ask her hand in marriage. She makes enough money that she puts most wealthy business men to shame. She can put lesser nobles over her knees and spank then, and on one except the monarchy can do jack about it. The life of "Iron Maiden" Penelope is one many desired. (3)

After all, Naruto has the misfortune of messing with her but live to tell the tale.

Naruto… ah yes, the root of all this problems. Penelope knows that he is responsible for Alice's disappearance. She knows, deep down, that he is the one who Alice is with right now. Oddly enough, she isn't worried. In fact, if there is one person who Penelope would trust Alice to without a second thought, he would be that person. What Penelope feels with it comes to this "little problem" as she calls it and an "unhealthy obsession" as her staff calls it is anger. Sure she panicked the first week of Alice's disappearance, but the more she thinks about it, the more she finds herself at ease, but very, very angry!

How DARE he? If he wishes to travel (to search for his past she reasons), simply say the word and he'll have her backing and support. Most likely she'll even send Alice with him just so she'll experience the world like she had (except it'll be much more sheltered, for Alice doesn't need to know a lot of things she does). He wouldn't need to worry about money at all. He can travel to anywhere in the world with little to no problem. He can eat any delicacy he wants without needing to work for it. All he needs to do is simply ASK.

But NO! He just has to up and disappear, not even with a goodbye or a warning at all. Worst of all, he took Alice WITH him… But to be honest, Alice probably forced herself on him, knowing the rather mischievous and active girl she is. But that's not the issue. The ISSUE is HIM simply GOING with no warning, no goodbye, and no way of contacting him whatsoever. Ooh, if she gets her hands on him, she'll really put him over her knees and let him have it so hard that he won't be able to walk for months! Advance healing be damned for all she fucking care! In fact, not if, but when she gets her hands on him, she'll make his behind red, **swollen**, and _**RAW**_!

"Meow…?"

"W-wha?" Penelope yelps as she suddenly feels a familiar weight jumps into her lap. Looking down in confusion, her eyes soften at the cat Diane. Gone is the little kitten that follows Alice everywhere, and in her place is a full grown cat that is a little too lazy for her own good. Still, this is one of those things that surprised yet irked Penelope to no end. Alice didn't take Diane with her! "Hmph! And she promised she'll take care of you. Now she dumps me in your lap and is in God knows where having fun!"

"Meow?" The cat just stares at the woman in confusion, not entirely sure why she's angry to begin with. Maybe it has something to do with master Naruto? Hmm, probably she is angry at master Naruto. In truth, Diane never really liked him. He smells too strongly of fox… (4) Anyway… "Meow?"

"Oh! Pardon me. I do believe you're hungry." The matriarch of the house says as she closes the book and scopes up Diane in one smooth motion. She slowly starts toward the kitchen, in hope that the cook has something prepared. If not, let's just say his ears will be ringing for the entire night. "Now then, let's see what the chef has prepared hmm? Come to think of it, I can use a light snack myself."

Diane mews happily and purrs as Penelope absent-mindedly stroke her head. Everything is alright. Nothing is wrong at all…

Why does she smell blood? "Meow?"

Stopping, Penelope glances at Diane in curiosity as the cat jumps out of her arms and head towards the door that leads to her private study. Now that is odd. "Diane? What is it?" Seeing the house pet scratching the door, Penelope decides that if she wants in, then sure, why not?

So can you really blame her that when she opens the door and see a man half dead and still bleeding, and most startling of all, has two gaping holes where his eyes used to be, she screams blue murder? (5)

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The thing that wakes Naruto up from his involuntary nap is a shiver that runs down his spine… Someone is extremely pissed off at him, or that something big has happened. Actually, forget that, when did he fall asleep? And as a matter of fact, what time is it?

Looking up, the shinobi judges that it's somewhere in the afternoon by the position of the sun. Taking a quick look around his surrounding, Naruto finds himself sitting with his back against Mayhew's gravestone. Now how did he fell asleep? He was just sitting here and enjoying the peace that cemetery offers for some strange reasons…

Oh, that's why. It's strangely comfortable here. Actually, now that he thought of it, the Memorial Stone back in Konoha is also one of his favorite places. Naruto won't lie, because he finds himself strangely attracted to places like a cemetery or a graveyard. Hmm, must be because it's one of those places that people doesn't frequent without a good reason. Heh, it seems that those instincts he cultivated back when he is still a young, inexperienced kid still exist.

Yawning a bit and stretching his limbs, Naruto quickly stands up and dusts himself off. Better hurry back to Alice before she decides to go hunting for him, Naruto decides. The blonde smiles at that thought as he turns around and offer a small prayer, and then he quickly sets foot towards the hotel. It's always nice to know that someone worries about him. Actually, never mind getting to the hotel. Let's just see where Alice is at the moment.

Nodding, Naruto quickly finds a clearing, sits down lotus style, and quickly gathers the necessary Nature Chakra. With skills literally beaten into his skull, he quickly finds a balance, and then stretches his sense out. Let's see… the wedding gathering is still taking place if the concentration of life force is any indication. The towns people are most likely home seeing those forces are a little too spread out to be mingling in the street. Hmm, the hotel's owner is in where he believes the kitchen is, most likely preparing for the night's meal. Alice… That's strange; Alice is down there, along with Victor. Hmm… well, nothing really to worry about. Victor will keep her safe even though he looks quite, for a lack of better description, incompetent. With all that done, Naruto lets the Nature Chakra dissipates. Once it's all gone, the young man stands up and slowly walks toward the hotel. Come to think of it, today should be the day Alice is able to world hope right? Three days are up, so there shouldn't be anything limiting them here right?

…You do know he wants to kick somebody's ass right? Where's the action!! He needs some actions!! ROARRRR!!!!

…Who is he kidding? There is no one here to fight. Bah, he really is used to a shinobi's life style. It is such a cruel and unusual punishment to dump him here. "YOU HEAR THAT BAKA KITSUNE!?! IT'S YOUR ENTIRE FAULT THAT I'M HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!" Silence is the only answer he receives, because there is no way in hell that stupid fox will ever answer him. Damned fox and her damned twisted logic…

"_Whatever." Kyuubi says as she regains her balance and walks over to an alarmed teen. "Relax brat, the fight is over. Now it's time for your reward." The woman grins savagely as she quickly latches onto the teen, who yelps before said yelp is muffled by her planting her lips on him._

"_MMMMM!!!"_

_With a satisfying moan, the woman lets go of the teen before tossing a chain towards him. Still dazed, the teen catches the chain in reflex and instinct alone as he continues to watch the woman laugh herself silly. "What just… why did… how in the… what…?" Then as if a switch is flipped on, the teen regain his balance and shouts accusingly, "I THOUGHT YOU DON'T LIKE ME!!"_

"_Oh-ho, I don't. But of course, the line is blurry." Kyuubi says mysteriously before she vanishes without a trace, leaving the teen standing there gaping at where the Kitsune was a while ago._

"…STUPID FURBALL!!!" Naruto screams at his stomach as a blush creeps onto his face. He doesn't like Kyuubi, and the Kyuubi doesn't like him… But damn, she is one hot woman if he ever sees one. That much he'll admit. He gives credit where credit is due after all. But that's beside the point. Hot or not, she is still an over grown fur ball as far as he is concerned.

…Also you did not hear that from him, and he did not just say that. And there isn't a feminine voice in his head that sounded oddly like giggles.

Anyway, with that over with, Naruto sighs as he continues to head towards his temporary shelter. Then the shinobi suddenly remember that inn costs money. Berating himself for being forgetful, Naruto reaches into his jacket and pulls out a sack of munny. Tossing it slightly, Naruto frowns at the fact that they already spend over half of their over all funds. That simply won't do… Where are those Heartless and Nobodies when you need them? "I don't care why they're caring cash on them. I need those cash now." The thing is, there aren't any Heartless or Nobodies. Those Hordes that attacked not so long ago didn't show again and there isn't anything he can do to draw them in… Wait a minute!

"_The Keyblade, while powerful, is also a great weakness in itself." Master Yen Sid says as he gestures to Naruto's Keyblade. At the two confused looks, the old wizard chuckles as he launches into his explanation. "The Keyblade are powerful, but it is because it is powerful that it in itself is a danger to the user. Many creatures fear the Keyblade, the most of which happens to be the Heartless. The Heartless can in fact, understand the magnitude behind the power of the Keyblade, and knows for a certainty that it is the only weapon that can completely and totally destroy them. That is why they seek to destroy it. To use the Keyblade is to resign to the fate of being followed endlessly by Heartless."_

Well, he has no problem with that!

Summoning Path of Redemption into his hand, Naruto gently taps it against his shoulder. There is a huge anticipating grin on his face as his cerulean eyes flicker back and forth from one spot to another. He will get his action. He will spend his pent up energy in something rather productive. If the Heartless has a problem with him, chuck it up to Alice's order that he mustn't prank anyone. Now then, where are those pesky little buggers?

**POP!**

Naruto grins viciously as the familiar sound assaults his ears. Standing there, right in front of him are several Heartless Hordes, all in a stance ready to strike. Now if he can just identify the growling from behind him and… wait, SHIT!

With a curse, the blonde jumps into the air just in time to catch a black blur that tackled the space he occupied not so long ago. The blur stops short from crashing into the Hordes, and Naruto's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as they gaze upon the figure of his new found enemies. Of all the things to appear, he really, REALLY did not expect to meet something as close to a werewolf… or what looks really like a werewolf… a seven feet tall, with extremely sharp claws, large fanged werewolf… alright, it's a werewolf, end of story. 'I'm really seemed it all now hasn't I?' The blonde thought to himself as he mentally sighs. This is going to be a problem.

The werewolf, which is seven feet tall, has really sharp claws, and large fangs, is also midnight black, with glowing yellow eyes. The most noticeable thing is the Heartless emblem on its chest. That really is the only thing keeping Naruto from panicking and bailing out of there. If it's a Heartless, he can deal with it, because it can be physically touched.

If it's real… Sure he can maim it, but he rather not faces a real one because he likes being a human thank you very much.

"ROAR!" The werewolf lets out a roar as it bends down onto all four. Naruto can easily see its leg muscles bulge, and with little to no warning, it suddenly shoots forward at speed that would make many Jounin jealous. The blonde shinobi lets out another curse as he once more jumps into the air. His victory is short lived though as five Hordes immediately gangs up onto him, jumping into flying tackles that would hurt a lot if they connected. IF they connected.

"OH-RAA!!!" With a mighty swing, Naruto cleaves three of them in half by the waist. Using that momentum, he spins around and delivers a vicious kick into another, knocking that one away. However, he forgets to deal with the fifth one.

The Heartless's claw digs into Naruto's right shoulder, and the blonde winces at the depth of it. That attack renders his right shoulder useless, having tore through the tendons and already scraping bones. At this very moment, Uzumaki Naruto sends his thanks to anyone and everyone that ever gave him a beating in his life, because if it weren't for them, he wouldn't have this much pain tolerance right now. However, this moment of distraction cost the shinobi as the Heartless drags out its claw, aggravating the wound further before slapping him away with its other claw. Just as Naruto is about to hit the ground, the werewolf shoulder tackles him with so much force that it would make Tsunade proud.

The tackle sends Naruto into a tree, through it, and into a particular large boulder. Being not able to withstand such force, the boulder collapses into itself, burying our favorite Jinchuriki under several hundred pounds of stones. (6) Yup, he'll feel that in the morning.

Summoning as much chakra as his coils can bare, Naruto lets it all lose with a fierce battle cry. The force successfully dislodged most of the rocks, leaving him open to climb out. However, it also leaves him open to attack, as the werewolf takes advantage of by once again shouldering tackling him. It sends him through two trees and then into a third one this time.

"…Gah… that pisses me off…" Naruto says as he pulls himself out of the tree. Seeing his right arm is pretty much useless, he can only uses Path of Redemption with his left. It is still doable, just that his attack and defense capacity decrease by a large margin because of it, and he knows it. Even though he is able to do a lot of things with his left hand, wielding a sword is not one of them. Maybe he can with a dagger or kunai, but not a sword.

…THAT'S IT!! HE'S FIGHTING LIKE A SAMURAI! He's a ninja for Sharingan's sake! (7)

Grinning, Naruto tosses the Path of Redemption towards the werewolf. As expected, not only did he miss, but the damned wolf makes easy work of getting out of the Keyblade's path -even though it did take out that Horde he kicked away. Too bad the werewolf isn't expecting a one-handed left-hand Rasengan to the stomach! "RASENGA!!"

The wolf howls in pain as it is blasted past one tree, two trees, three, four… five… and then into an unfortunate sixth tree. Naruto narrows his eyes at the injured Heartless before quickly lowering into a crouch, avoiding a claw swipe from that forgotten fifth Horde. With a high kick into its chest sends it soaring into the sky. Naruto, still in his kicking position, uses the momentum from that kick and switches it into a deadly axe drop, slamming into the injured werewolf's head as it tries to take a bite out of him in a rush attack. Reaching out with the left hand, Naruto catches the thrown Keyblade as it returns to its master's hand. The shinobi then stomps his foot into the wolf's head, uses it as a spring board, and jumps up into the air just as the Horde reaches its ascending peak. Quickly, with the forces of the jump, Naruto thrusts the Keyblade into the Heartless before pulling it out from the side, effectively dealing a mortal wound. Smirking, Naruto kicks off the partially dissolved Heartless and shoots straight down towards the werewolf.

It looks up at him, roars, and just as it is about to jumps at him, Naruto impales it from its mouth all the way through its bottom. The shinobi lands with a one-hand handstand on the Path of Redemption just as the werewolf dissolves into black dusts as a large pink heart floats into the sky. Grinning to himself, the Keybearer lowers himself, careful not to aggravate his right shoulder more than he already did with that stunt. What? You think he got through all that without effort? Well he'll tell you that his right arm is practically flapping around like a misused nun-chuck! Man, does it sucks.

Several more pops sound in the clearing, making Naruto sighs as he turns around to face his new enemies. This time the Hordes come in a greater number as well as three werewolves to bear. The shinobi sighs once more as he readies his Keyblade in his left hand, and grins.

After all, this is what he planned to happen.

XXXXXXXXXX

As for little Alice…

"A wedding, a wedding, we're gonna have a wedding!!" The little girl sings along as she skips around Victor in a merry mood. It's not everyday that one gets to attend a wedding after all.

'Besides, how many can truthfully say they attended a wedding hosted by dead people?' Victor thinks to himself with a soft chuckling as he sees the girl does this little dance. It makes him wonder what such lively girl is doing at a town such as his. It's really too boring for someone like her to want to visit. Ah, that doesn't matter. What matters is that he still couldn't get over the feeling of those spiders crawling all over him. They are very good seamstresses, but they tickles!

As happy as she is though, little Alice couldn't stop the sneeze that stops her hard on her track, nearly making her lose her balance. She quickly steadies herself, and throws a quick "thank you" at Victor for his "bless you." Scratching her left cheek with a finger, Alice looks into the ceiling as blinks, wondering if someone is taking about her or she just got some dust into her nose. Well, either way, the excitement of the wedding quickly drowns out Alice's curiosity and worries. It is truly wonderful to be able to attend a wedding. "Oh dear, I'm so excited!"

"Haha, Alice, calm down." Victor says, a little taken a back by just how happy Alice is at the moment. The groom wonders if he should be happy too. After all, he has just agreed to do away with his life so he may properly marry Emily. "It's is but a marriage. No need to be so worked up."

"Oh but it is such a wonderful thing to be married wouldn't you agree?" The Princess of Hearts says as she twirls in a little circle, once again conveying just how excited she is. It really is a big event! At this moment, Victor really isn't sure if he should be happy with Alice or wince at the fact that someone is so happy about his death even though it's rather involuntary seeing she doesn't know. Actually, scratch that. The entire town is happy that he'll die!!

…Oh well, the things he'll do just to make a lovely lady happy.

"By the way Mr. Victor, what will you do about Ms. Victoria?" Alice's question quickly snaps Victor out of his thoughts. Seeing Victor's rather depressed expression, Alice mentally scolds herself at such a slip. Think before you act she always said, but never did she ever follow her own advice, ooh! "I… I'm sorry!"

"No, it's alright. She probably never likes a guy like me." Victor laughs weakly as he scratches the back of his head. Alice frowns up at him, and Victor in response just puts a hand on her head with a gentle pat. "Hey, don't give me that. I'm a rather useless guy, so don't worry about me. It's not really worth the trouble and time anyway."

"Mm… If brother ever hears that, he'll kick you very hard…" Alice mumbles, but Victor, despite the noise level around him, still catching it laughs nervously at the idea of Naruto kicking him. He has no doubt in his mind that Alice's words hold truth in them. "Well… are you sure you're alright?"

Victor smiles at the fact that Alice is actually concerned about him. He has long since resigned to the probability that people simply don't give a penny about him. Heck, if his mother doesn't give two thoughts over him, then what's there to suggest to him that other might care? Still, it's surprising that he finds that person who cares in the form of a woman who died several years ago. He really does find this whole situation ironic. Maybe death isn't such a horrible prospect after all…

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"GAH?!" Victor exclaims in shock as Alice's face practically appears two inches from his, her expression one that clearly expresses her skepticism. Laughing lightly, Victor pets Alice's head again, much to the girl's annoyance as she pouts. The man will admits, she is one cute kid. "I already said don't worry about me. I'm fine. Honestly!"

Alice hums in thought, and Victor can tell easily that she still doesn't believe him. To tell the truth, he doesn't believe the crap he spill from his mouth either. Sure, he is fine, but not really. It doesn't make sense, but it's one of those moments when you feel like crap yet at the same time extremely refreshed. He is about to start a new chapter of his life… or unlife. It is both scary and exciting at the same time. He will die, but he'll be married to a beautiful woman even though she's partially decayed (which truly speaks volume of her beauty when she was alive). He will leave behind the Victor that is a coward at life, and become the Victor who is… well, he isn't sure what he'll be like after death. He heard it from somewhere that death changes people, but how that works, he never knows.

He's about to find out though.

Several gasps from around him bring his attention to the stair, where Emily lightly steps down in all her pride. Victor lightly grins to himself, once again reminding himself that he is either a cursed idiot or one lucky bastard because his bride really is one of beauty. Large eyes, high cheek bones, long eye lashes, thin and delicate neck, wonderful body proportion, nice long legs, a slim waist, shapely hips, large and round brea-! HOLD IT! Save that last one for later ehehehe… Still, Emily really is beautiful.

"Wow… so pretty…" Alice sighs next to him, and Victor's grin grows a little in pride. Yup, he is one lucky bastard alright he thinks to himself as the spiders lightly adds the veil onto Emily's head. He is going to get married… He is about to get married… Oh god he is going to be married! "Oh! Mr. Victor! You are perfectly sure you're alright? You look a little pale…"

Victor laughs nervously as he adjusts his collar a little. Well, he'll admits, he feels like shit because he is about to commit suicide, but he feels excited too because he'll marry a total babe!

Wow, he really will die happy… If you told him that he'll die happy two days ago, he'll laugh in your face. But now… Wow.

Oh well, up the stairs we go! "ALRIGHT EVERYBODY! LET'S TAKE THIS WEDDING UPSTAIRS!!" Victor exclaims merrily, and the entire town screams in approval, and as one, marches for the surface world; the World of the Living.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Naruto finishes off the last of the Heartless with a downward cut, he straightens up and takes a look at the damage he dealt. Let's see, even with his right arm flapping loosely at the side (mind you, it's getting better though), he still caused… dozens of toppled trees, two shattered boulders, several craters with the largest being two meter wide in radius, and let's not forget the path of destruction carved out by his left hand Rasengan. Yup, he kicks asses.

And the good part of this all is he doesn't need to worry about property damages. Man, letting loose really feels good.

The growling of his stomach reminds Naruto that not only did he skip breakfast, but he also missed lunch. Judging by the position of the sun and the length of the shadows cast by trees, it's almost dinner time. Perhaps if he hurry, he can get make it by dinner and suffer through Alice's lecture during it. Of course, he needs to first somehow clean his cloth up… Sure it's self-cleaning and self-repairing, but Naruto isn't sure if it applies with blood stain. His right shoulder is one large bloody mess after all. And since the adrenaline wears off now, he's feeling the full throttles of its pain. Wincing a little as he suddenly jots it a little too harshly; Naruto glares down at the gush that pretty much rendered his shoulder useless. It's too bad he didn't think of bringing any of those health potions. They're bitter, but they work extremely well, something about the best medicine being the most bitter? Whatever.

Thinking that perhaps it's best for him to regain some of his strength, Naruto quickly dismisses Path of Redemption. It won't do to attract even more Heartless with his condition. Who knows if it'll be a sort of repeat with Twilight Town. He is not eager to face off against a seemly endless mass of Hordes, let along those damnable werewolves. Naruto really does thank his shinobi training. Those bastards are fast little nasty, yes they are.

Without even noticing it, Naruto finds himself in the outskirt of the town. He mentally berates himself for zooming out and going into autopilot, one of the most deadly mistake shinobis can make. Shrugging it off and making a note to pay more attention to it in the future, Naruto sets foot towards his temporary shelter, all the while grinning at the much heavier munny pouch in his jacket. Thinking perhaps he should clean up a little, he heads off to his room, and when he opens it, he unsurprisingly finds it empty. Smiling softly, Naruto heads into the adjacent bathroom to do a little hygiene maintenance. He wishes he has some extra cloth to change into. His cloth now is all fine and dandy, but blood stain tends to attract unwanted attention. Taking off his jacket, Naruto checks over the damage on his arm, finding that it stops bleeding, but still throbbing with pain and a very angry red. It might even be swollen a little. Well, so long as the jacket covers it up nicely, he'll do fine. That's one of the plus over having a black overcoat right?

After washing his face, his hands, and putting a little water into his hair to take out some dusts, Naruto smiles into the mirror nailed onto the wall. He still sees that handsome chap Alice made out of him, but at least he can also sees some of his shinobi side from the messy look he'd gain.

**Grrr~~~~…**

Right, food!

"And on the latest news… THE DEAD WALKS THE EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Eh?

With long strides, Naruto reaches the window and flings it open just in time to see several dead people running around the plaza chasing various living people. Now what are the dead doing up here?

"Oh, hello there brother. How was your day?" Alice's question brings Naruto's attention to the little girl that's standing at the entrance of their room. Judging by her large, beaming smile and the clasped hands, she is extremely happy about something. What that something is though… "Brother? Why are you looking at me with those suspicious eyes? Do I have something in my hair?"

Naruto groans as he quickly shrugs on his jacket (and being careful not to reveal or agitate his injured shoulder), the young man walks over to the girl and puts a hand on her head. "You wouldn't happen to know what this is all about now… would you?"

Alice blinks before she smiles once more and says, "Of course. Victor is going to marry Ms. Emily properly this time… Even though he has to kill himself to do that, I personally find it rather romantic for that to happen. Of course I wouldn't want someone to do that for me. It'd be a waste you know? Hey brother? Are you listening?"

"No…"

"Oh how rude!"

Smiling softly to himself and at the antics of Alice, Naruto turns to the window again, a contemplating look on his face that his friends in Konoha would be shocked to see on his face. The blonde silently weight the pros and cons of staying for the wedding or simply leaving with Alice's ability to summon the Corridor of Light. He knows for a fact that the Heartless being here is not surprising, but the issue of them attacking Victor during that night is cause enough to raise some flags. Other than that, their lack of presence since then is both disarming and alarming at the same time. It really is too quiet. For a quest bent on saving the universe from something, there simply aren't enough threats or shady activities. Heck, not even the Akatsuki is this quiet.

Perhaps he should stay just a little bit more…

After a few more seconds of silent debate, Naruto nods to himself before turning back to Alice once more. "Alright, I've decided." The shinobi says with a grin on his face that seems to be mirrored by Alice in a second. There is no need for explanation or any other words. Of what little Alice discovered from Naruto in his short time of literally dropping into her life, it's his grins. Right now, he is sporting one that may cause the Lady Luck to be laughing herself to death, wondering which unfortunate mortal (or supernatural being) she gets to doom by dropping Uzumaki Naruto onto their door steps.

It seems there is a wedding they need to crash.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lord Barkis is not amused.

All those careful planning, all those time he spent, only for it all to be ruined by some stupid, cowardly boy! It doesn't matter that he somehow brought with him a town worth's of corpses! He can end those miserable existence with the Heartless granted to him. He could not however blow his cover just yet. All things have its own time, and his entrance is one of them. It does however sicken him to see this… lovey-dovey play out in front of him. It sickens him right down to the core. Nothing in this world matters, and certainly not loves. All that matter is money, and he is not leaving until he gets his fair share of it!

Now he just needs to wait for the opportune moment… There! Smirking, Barkis compose himself before he starts clapping his hand. Nice and slowly, he advances into the room and says, "Oh, how… lovely. It is truly a sight to see such a beautiful wedding. It is most horrible that two lovers are to be torn apart…" Barkis says with sarcasm so thick that people can practically choke on it. Just as the self-proclaimed lord (because let's face it people, there is no way to check if he's genuine) stops near Victoria, his face turns from a smirk to a snare. "But there is one thing you people seems to forget. SHE'S STILL MY WIFE!" Barkis barks as he snatches Victoria's wrists in a vice grip. That action gets many in the room to tense up, especially Victor, Barkis observes with a victorious smirk. Knowing that it's not enough to ward off hostility, he quickly scans his surrounding, and lo and behold, there is a sword just waiting for him to use. So with no hesitation, he quickly plugs it out of the midget that it's stuck in and rests it against Victoria's neck, quite snuggly he might add. "And I'm not leaving here empty-handed."

"…You!" That sudden exclamation easily gains Barkis's attention. Looking over, the lord's eyes widen at the sight of the corpse, but it's not just any corpse. It's…

"Emily?" Now this is something really surprising. Of all the people to run into, it just has to be her doesn't it? "B-but… I left you…"

"…For dead…"

Oh, now he's in a shit load of trouble…

"What's this about leaving a lady for dead?!" Another voice pierces Barkis's ears, making the man turn around to face the entrance. There, standing next to the rather tall blonde man he'd seen not so long ago, the little blonde girl glares at him with enough frost to make him shiver. "It is awfully rude to leave a lady unattended to, but it is down right dreadful to leave her for dead! Shame on you! And you call yourself a gentleman? You are such a disgrace to gentlemen everywhere. Why, you should be ashamed to even show your face after what you'd done!" Barkis can only gaze owlishly at the girl that just keeps going on, and on, and on while her companion just scratches his scarred cheek with a look mixed between amusement and exasperation. Seriously, how in hell's name does proper dining equity has anything to do with murder? "And another thing-!"

"Little girl should keep her silence. Besides, this woman is delusional! I did not leave her for dead!" Barkis barks out before spilling forth anything that can come out of his mind. He has to congratulate himself for coming up with such tactics. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on the point of view, the dead simply knows. Still, that doesn't explain how a talking maggot gets onto his shoulder. Hold that thought, rewind, and let's see that part again. A talking maggot on his shoulder…

With a yelp of surprise, Barkis lets go of Victoria in alarm. The woman uses that opportunity to quickly elbow the man and runs behind Victor. Seeing this, Barkis snares as he quickly advances towards the quivering young man. Somehow he is able to be provided with a carving fork, but no matter. As Lord Barkis sees it, he is minced meat, and nothing can save him!

XXXXXXXXXX

"You should stop pouting. That was like five minutes ago." Naruto says as he ruffles Alice's hair, whose pout only increase in strength by that action. The shinobi just sighs before turning his attention back to the rather impromptu duel between Victor the Quivering Leaf and Barkis the Damnable Snot. So far, he is rather impressed with the Von Dort for holding on so long with a carving fork. Then again, if it's him, he'll do fine even with a rusty spoon. He personally learned a few tricks from a certain psychotic purple haired mistress (insert involuntary shiver here). Good thing is he didn't experience it first hand. Castration by rusty spoon is not something he wants to experience. Seeing it done once to some unfortunate poor soul is enough for him as it is.

Back on topic, Naruto has to agree with himself that Victor is really doing a very good job. He may lack in self-confidence, but when it comes down to it, he can hold his own just fine. "Ma, I suppose there really isn't anything we need to do… Alice, stop pouting."

"Hmph!" Alice huffs in annoyance before she turns her attention for the first time onto the duel. She has always wondered if it's possible to use kitchen utensil to duel, but it seems Victor has proven to her that yes, it is entirely possible to do so. Still, it's just rude to interrupt another when he or she is speaking. "…I wonder if this is how Penelope feels whenever I find someway to escape her lecture."

"Is that why she usually hounds you when you're hiding behind me…?" Naruto will take the way the huge sweat drop appears behind Alice's head as a positive. Still, since there really isn't anything to do now, they should just leave. "Well, maybe it's time for us to go? We already check out from the inn right?" When the Princess of Hearts nod in the positive, Naruto nods back and the two turn around at the same time and starts to walk away from the commotion. Just as they set foot out of the chapel, Lord Barkis comes barging out from behind them, pushing them away as he quickly rushes into the center of the cemetery, eyes blazing in fury. At this very moment, Uzumaki Naruto knows for a fact that he spoke too soon about leaving.

"I will make you all pay! No body makes a mocking out of Lord Barkis. NOBODY!!" Screaming in anger, the lord summons out an extremely large Heartless that shaped like a skeleton with the Heartless emblem at where the heart is usually located from under him. The chapel's occupants all race out to see the cause of the earthquake. Even the stunned father –who remained standing just outside the door in all of this - snaps out of his daze and gaze upon the monstrosity that dare to grace his chapel. However, considering the fact that the skeleton-ish creature is almost as tall as his chapel… he shall keep his mouth shut. "Now, all of you shall perish!"

At this, Naruto couldn't help but grin. It's about time he does some field test with his Keyblade skill on large sized enemy. That Kyuubi Fight in his seemly not-dream doesn't count.

With a shout, Naruto quickly leaps forward towards the Heartless, completely ignoring everything else going on around him. So far, all there is are him and that giant Heartless just calling to him to have it diced into pieces. Maybe it's the pent up energies from three days of near inactivity. Maybe it's some unknown pent up rage that appears from one point or another due to observing the locals. Maybe it's just his need to let something off his chest through the only way he knows since he was little. Maybe it's his issue with his own guilt, whose energy he diverts into something much more productive. Whatever it is, Naruto really doesn't care. It pisses him off to see Barkis summon this Heartless for some unknown reason.

Somewhere deep within him though, Naruto knows that he is just angry and jealous at Victor for one thing or another amongst many things that he simply bottles up. He envies how the young man went through little when compared to his own non-existing and fucked up childhood. But what he can't stand the most is for his supposed happy moment to be taken away. That, if he is to be completely honest and down to earth with himself, is what really drives his seemly berserk rage as he tears into the Heartless.

So into his berserker state, Naruto fails to notice how barriers appear around him every time the giant's hand close in to swap him away like the fly he is when compared to its massive bulk. He fails to notice how Alice peppers the monstrosity with flames, lightning, and ice. He fails to take into account that pretty much everyone has fled the scene, all that remaining is Victor, Victoria, Emily, the Elder Gutknecht, the father, and a random dead or two.

All he sees is the giant Heartless in front of him, him, Lord Barkis who looks barking mad, and this sweet, seductive voice whispering into his ear with sweet nothing.

"**Just let it all go. Give it your all, tear it down. Bring it down. Make it face terror like never before. Make it suffer for taking away others happiness. If you can do that, your pain will go away…**"

In his rage, Naruto fails to notice how he has already torn the Heartless into but a shadow of its former self. All he remembers is his desire that wants to destroy, multiplied by something he can't identify, and most of all, he doesn't want to stop…

Is this how it feels like to lose yourself into darkness? Is this how Sasuke feels like with his obsession; nothing but what is in front of you matters?

…It's so… easy to do so. Why hasn't him given in all those years ago like Gaara did? (8)

"Brother! That is enough!"

"Um?" Naruto groans as he feels the thin arms of Alice circles around his waist. Blinking, he looks around his surrounding to finds himself some how in the chapel, with literally a path of destruction behind him. In front of him, Lord Barkis cowards under his gaze, and his right arm, which he notice is completely healed, posed high with Path of Redemption ready to deal a swift end to the man. "W-wha…?"

Lord Barkis winces as he quickly draws himself into a stand. Dusting off the dust on his cloth and trying to save as much dignity as he can, the man quickly advance towards the alter, where the cup of "wine" sits miraculously untouched. "Disgusting. And you people call me a monster? Why I never!"

"The Heartless is defeated after you slice its head in two." Alice softly supplies, still not letting go of Naruto, who is lowering his right arm slowly. His mind still has a problem with piecing together the memories a few minutes ago. In fact, it felt just like those times when he went Kyuubi Berserk…

"Very well. I know my defeat when I see it." Barkis continues, his tone already regaining his smugness and snobbish attitude. "I shall take my leave. I have obviously over stayed my welcome." The man says as he stands next to the table with the cup on it. He needs to leave, and fast. However, it's not happening unless he has the last word. "But before I leave. I propose a toast. First I toast to Emily, who will always be the bride mate, and never the bride. And to our blonde… savior, hoping he continues his vicious and zealous retribution." With that said, he picks up the cup, and in own swift motion, down its entire content.

Naruto pays little to no attention to him though. He is still trying to piece together just what happened to sent him into a "black out" not so long ago. He went berserk, that much is clear. But why? The first time on the Great Naruto Bridge is due to Sasuke's supposed death. The training trip with Jiraiya is because of the old pervert's taunting to get him to draw on the fox's power. Then it's the encounter with Orochimaru and the bubbling rage he felt when he falls under the Sennin's words. Finally it's the fight against Pein, where he deliberately stabbed Hinata in front of him. The last one, he almost let the Kyuubi out. If it weren't for his father appearing as he did…

This time…

"New arrival…" The raspy voice of Elder Gutknecht sounds next to him, and Naruto blinks to see Lord Barkis chocking out his last breath. When he turns around, the blonde couldn't help but smirk as Barkis gazes in horror at what he has become. Just then, the door he is about to exist to opens up, and several hooks appear, sink into his body, and drags him into it, his scream echoing into the chapel until the door shuts with a resounding **BAM!** At this, the elder skeleton chuckles again, thinking about all the nasty stuff his fellow corpses will do to the man. But first, he has a youngster to attend to. "My boy, do not let what occurred a measly few minutes ago disturb you. You may almost commit atrocity, but you did it in the name of goodness." Seeing how Naruto raises an eye brow, the elder just shakes his head good naturally and starts hobbling toward the door Lord Barkis disappears in. "Come see me by the door later, when you are all better. But for now, say your good bye and know that you still have friends despite you being who or what you are."

Seeing the elder hobbles off, Naruto curses the seemingly senile words of one who has reached the age of ancient. Still, he doesn't have time for this. "Alice, I'm alright now… You can let go." Feeling the girl's small arms retract, Naruto smiles somewhat sadly before he turns to face those still lingers in the chapel, naming him, Alice, Victor, Victoria, and Emily (who cares where the father went). "I suppose… an apology and explanation is in order?"

Emily, Victor and Victoria trade looks for a while before Victor steps forward, not hesitantly but proudly and with a friendly smile on his face. When he is a few steps within Naruto, easily within arms reach, he says, "Whatever for? No apology and explanation is needed. In fact, we believe some gratitude is due from us. So thank you Naruto, for jumping in the way you did when that mad man Barkis brings that monster out… Although that did surprise me; I thought seeing dead people are all there is… Ow! What is that for?" Victor whines while rubbing the arm Victoria playfully slaps. Emily, who remains at where she is, just giggles good naturally and turns around. Naruto blinks at the dead woman in confusion while the rest joins in to gaze at her.

"Ms. Emily, wherever are you going?" Alice asks as she finds a comfortable place by Naruto's side. She vows silently to herself in not to leave the brother figure alone for even a moment for at least a day or two (save for hygiene purposes). That can wait though, because it seems something else is about to happen.

"Well, I think it's time that I moved on." Emily answers with a smile and seeing the surprised and perplexed look on Victor's face, the woman smiles softly and says, "No worry. You kept your promise. Now it's time I kept mine. Now make sure Ms. Victoria dies a happy woman. Or I'll find someway to come back and haunt you." When Victor shivers, the corpse bride knows her job is done with him. The next one might be a little harder. "As for you, Mr. Naruto. Do not blame yourself for what transpired here. Like Victor said, we are happy and thankful that you did what you did. Besides, I'm sure young Alice can keep you in line." She pauses as she tries to add something to it, but seeing none and thinking of none, she just shrugs. Emily did however add an after thought, "Stop brooding so much. Remember, the dead knows, so don't bother denying it."

Satisfied with her job well done, Emily turns to the exit once more. Just then, she remembers the bouquet of flower in her hands. Giggling once more, she casually tosses it over her shoulder right at the location she remembers Victoria is. Hearing the delightful gasps, the corpse bride knows as a certainty that her job is done, and with a content sigh, dissolves into a bunch of butterflies, and disappear into the horizon.

A comfortable silence ensured…

"…I told you so that you brood too much brother."

"Oh shut it Alice."

XXXXXXXXXX

"To wind or not to wind, that's the question asked."

Alice blinks twice before turning around to face a very familiar pink and purple striped cat. His usual large grin and seemly drunken eyes in place, the Cheshire cat lays on nothing as he gazes down at the Princess of Hearts. In one of his paws is a letter, its content unknown to the girl as her eyes wonders over to it in curiosity. The cat's grin widens. "To wind is to fix, and to not wind is to ignore. Of those incomplete, she's one needs adore. While love is abundant, lacking it she does."

"…Okay… what does that mean?" Alice asks the cat as she tilts her head to the side. Unlike the last time she met him, the Cheshire cat seem to develop a particular nasty habit of making riddles. "What who's that letter for?"

"It's for he who is broken, but seeks to be fixed. He who bears the key to salvation in hand, shall answer this letter, for his calling is at hand."

Alice blinks at the part of the riddle and scratches her chins in thought. She knows of three people who can use the Keyblade, but who holds salvation in hand? "You know, you are really bad at rhyming…"

The cat chuckles before with a wave of his tail, he vanishes from sight. Alice pouts at the vanishing acts, but thinks nothing of it. Rather, she decides to turn her attention to her surrounding and finds herself in nothing but darkness. Then in three flashes of lights, two Keyblades appear. One is the Path of Redemption Naruto wields, and the other is the Kingdom Key Sora wields. In between the two keys, the Cheshire cat appears once more with a black case under him and the letter on his head. His grin widens further as he begins the next part of his random message, "Of two pillars, one will tumble. The other will be minced and muddled. Their supports will soon be crumbled. Unless…" The cat pauses here for some reason, his ears perk up and waving in the air. He soon chuckles in amusement as his tail starts to wipe his own existence away. However, before his mouth disappears, he offers up one last sentence, "Complete the puzzle of the fox, then you shall understand what needs to be done…"

When the Cheshire cat completely disappears, Alice approaches the two Keyblades and the case. Kneeling down in front of it, she picks up the letter and read the person it is addressed to, "To Namikaze Naruto. Hmm? I wonder if it's for brother…" Thinking nothing of it, the girl opens the letter, much too curious for her own good of the contents inside of it. All she takes out though is a single piece of card with the question "To Wind/Not to Wind." Flipping it over, Alice finds a set of instruction on the back. Getting even more curious, the girl reads it aloud, "Circle one of the two choices in the front. Replace the letter into the envelope, then simply place it within a drawer or burn it. If choose "To Wind," be sure to expect the package quickly. If choose "Not to Wind," think nothing of this and simply forget it. Well, it's not my decision to make… Although I do wonder who this Namikaze person is."

"**Alice?**"

"Hmm?" The girl moans as she opens her eyes to finds herself staring into Naruto's cerulean blue. Alice blinks a few times before the memories of the event not so long ago slam into her. With an exclamation, she bolts up and slams her head into Naruto's, and both fall down in pain. "Ouch… B-brother, where are we?"

"How should I know?" Naruto grumbles while nursing his aching head. Who knew the girl has such a strong skull? And people say his head is hard. "All I know is that we open the door, something sucks us in, and then we ended up here." Speaking of which… "Where is here?" The shinobi questions as he stands up to stare at… well, he wouldn't call it nothingness. There is this very strange castle behind Alice and they are currently standing on this piece of land floating in the middle of some space. Oh alright, they're in the middle of nowhere. "We are currently in someplace that I am not familiar with and have no idea where we are."

"In short, we're lost." Alice supplies as she gets up and dusts herself off. Ignoring the way Naruto suddenly sinks into a depression (she'll get him up later), Alice too survey her surrounding. Her blue eyes soon land on the rather strange and twisted castle not so far from them and smiles. "Well, why don't we go over there and see what we can do?" Without waiting for an answer, Alice picks up her hazardously disposed bag (really, the ONLY bag they have since they left their baggage in Radiant Garden) and skips toward the castle, knowing that Naruto will be just a step or two behind her. Once they reach the large double door, both blinks up at the size of the thing, or rather the seemly lack-there-of. It really, really doesn't look that big.

Oh well, it's just a castle that looks pieced together and in the middle of nowhere. What's the worst that can happen in here?

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

First off… I tried proof reading, and I did too. Any more mistakes are those that I probably glossed over accidentally. There are just things that you look at and then simply can't figure out for your life's sake. If you do find problems, let me know and I'll try and go find it (and maybe fix it… or I might just leave it as it is for future reminder).

Hmm… I keep trying to get it right… Well, I'm going to admit myself as a sort of perfectionist when it comes to story (but I'm really bad at grammar), so I guess to me it's never really enough. I will confess though, I rushed a little bit. I figure if I drag it out any more, it'll be annoying. Enough character development. It's time for ACTION!!! …Which means I have to make the event flows up to it, which then means I have to do some fight scenes, which then leads to my perfectionist side acting up. I'm sort of making a big deal on the fight huh…?

...

…

O_O umm… I still think I can do better. How? I don't know…

Next, I wrapped up the Corpse Bride chapter rather anticlimactic (don't kill me T_T). I know, but don't worry. What occurred will be told in Alice's point of view (in some sense), and it'll also be the first time the Princess experience Naruto's berserker state. He is one crazy badass when he goes off the end you know? Too bad he doesn't control it. Several more things I will go over in this next arc. For those who can guess where they are, cyber cookie and the imaginary video of whatever you fancy yourself with XD. Now with the things I think should be explained:

1) Sentient house exist… or at least in fictional or magical realms. But of course, supposedly there are ways to make a house "comes alive" so to speak, but how, I don't know. The movie _Monster House_ suggests that a soul can possess it with a strong enough will. In _Harry Potter_, the Hogwarts castle is "alive" due to ancient magic and lots of enchantments. Smart AIs were installed in multiple sci-fi series that controls the house, making it a sort of sentient being (Iron Man's house may not be the best example… but you get the idea?). But in the end, there is no clear way as to how to create such thing. Personally, I would avoid those made of souls. You'll never know when they'll be pissed as you and decides to get rid of you one way or another.

2) Penelope's age was never disclosed, so I'm going to assume she is about ten years older than Alice. As to the boy comment, it is not about me being a sexist (because I'm not). The female sex was never put on high ground before the 19th century, and even then, arguments are fierce (that is why we have Feminist Movements). For a girl to take over family business is almost unheard of then and for one so young too. It's a big thing when you put it in that prospective.

3) Hey, no background info is ever given about Alice or Penelope's life. In fact, it's all open-book for all we know. The novel version (the original) doesn't affect me (partially because I never read it XD), seeing this is Disney stuff, we're working with Disney. So you can kiss my ass if you have a problem with it!! (Insert evil/insane laughter)

4) Let's just say Naruto never has any luck with cats, Tora (it is Tora right? Or Taro? …man, the stupid cat is even elusive with me!) is the prime example… this will allow me to have some fun in the future.

5) Fufufufufu~~, guess who~! The one that got it right gets to pat themselves on the back and a cyber cookie.

6) Let's face it, no matter who you are, you can be crushed by heavy objects if you're not prepared. Even Superman isn't immune to that (except he'll just be knocked out, not crushed).

7) You really would be surprised just how much difference fighting like a samurai and fighting like a ninja can make. After all, samurai takes you on head to head, while ninja… let's just say a Thousand Years of Pain is the least of your worry.

8) Gaara gave into the darkness when he "killed" his uncle by having his Ultimate Defense. Naruto never gave into the darkness except that two times he turns four tails and that one time he went all eight. However, he never has the time to contemplate fully why it happens. He just did. This time however, he didn't give himself into his rage and the Darkness known as Kyuubi. He gave himself into his hatred and his lust for destruction. There is a difference. And you can't argue that for someone who is basically neglected and mistreated for the first 10 or so years of his existence, he doesn't have an urge to destroy. He just channels that energy into pranks.

That's about it I think…

Before I forget, here's something I just want to do for the heck of it:

XXXXX **Omake…** XXXXX

The werewolf, which is seven feet tall, has really sharp claws, and large fangs, is also midnight black, with glowing yellow eyes. The most noticeable thing is the Heartless emblem on its chest. That really is the only thing keeping Naruto from panicking and bailing out of there. If it's a Heartless, he can deal with it, because it can be physically touched.

If it's real… Sure he can maim it, but he rather not faces a real one because he likes being a human thank you very much.

"ROAR!" The werewolf lets out a roar as it bends down onto all four. Naruto can easily see its leg muscles bulge, and with little to no warning, it suddenly shoots forward at speed that would make many Jounin jealous. The blonde shinobi lets out another curse as he once more jumps into the air. His victory is short lived though as five Hordes immediately gangs up onto him, jumping into flying tackles that would hurt a lot if they connected. IF they connected.

"OH-RAA!!!" With a mighty shout, Naruto suddenly henged into a green spandex-wearing version of himself, completely with orange leg warmers and bowl-cut hair style and drops into a pose that one would expect to see preformed by Gai or Lee. The colossal grin on his face doesn't help the matter either. In fact the grin exposes two rolls of teeth that simply SHINE!! It is absolutely blinding!!!

It is so deadly the Heartless are all stunned into inaction. "And now for the finishing blow!" With another shout, Naruto gets into the pose he first seen Maito Gai appears in just as he lands on the ground, completely with his famous Sunset Background and the exclamation of, "THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Silence… then **POPOPOPOPOPOP!!!** The Heartless flees in terror at scene their eyes were forced to behold. It is simply too YOUTHFUL for their non-existing eyes to gaze upon. It is simply too deadly of a weapon!

"MUHAHAHAHA!!" Naruto, seeing this, laughs in triumph before he does another pose and a shadow clone henged into Naruko appears (clothed, mind you, but in a good spandex…). "BEHOLD!! MY AWESOMENESS IS TOO MUCH FOR THEM TO TAKE!!"

"Oh my gosh, you're so awesome Naruto-sama!!" Naruko screams in glee as water full tears flow from her eyes due to awe and adoration.

Naruto turns to his clone with water fall tears and shouts, "NARUKO!!" The original starts the slow motion running.

"NARUTO-SAMA!!" The clone too starts to slowly run toward his… her maker.

"NARUKO!!!" Closer…

"NARUTO-SAMA!!!" And embrace!

Cue hugging scene, and cliff, high crashing wave, and a sun set in the background. At the same time, the two turn to face the sunset, and exclaims.

"IT IS THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"…By the way, Naruto-sama, what about the munny…?"

"..."

"..."

"…CRAP! I forgot..."

"NARUTO-SAMA, THAT IS MOST UNYOUTHFUL OF YOU!!!"

XXXXXXXXXX

…I didn't traumatize anyone with that did I…? No? Oh good.

Well, summer is here. That doesn't mean I'll update more frequently, just that I might have more time to work on stories to make it seemly better. My funny bone is malfunctioning, but I suppose I'm not trying to turn this into a crack story, so that's alright (in my book). Oh, and there are several plot bunnies jumping in my head again. Go to my profile for details. Take one or two for yourself if you like. Just let me know. I can't keep feeding them you know? It's either that, put them down on paper, or slaughter them. I prefer to see them on paper, but I believe juggling three stories for now is enough. One more thing, my muse is kind of lacking in energy. I should pump her (yes, my muse is a girl… don't ask why) up with energy drink or coffee… or more fanfiction. Either way, I might enter another "Heat," or I may not. Depending on what happened in the next few days.

So until then, ENJOY!!!

PS: See that shining bottom called "Review this Story/Chapter"? You want to press it so bad don't you… (Dangle a pocket watch in front of you), yes, you want to very badly...


	13. Chapter 13

Hmm, I seriously consider the last chapter to be sub-par, not because of review count (because I know people are lazy, me included), but because I really do think I can do better… It's one of those chapters that are worst than those that refuse to be good. I probably have no one but myself to blame for writing myself into a corner. I do that a lot… Next time, I need to review the worlds before I consider putting them down. Lesson learned.

I'm actually a little surprised to even get reviews…

Either way, hopefully I continue to produce stuff up to par with my usual work. It won't help at all if my inspiration refuses to work though… Well, either way, I'm going to try my best and give it my all.

**IMPORTANT NOTICE:** By the way, about that whole thing of explaining from Alice's point of view… I might work it in with bits and pieces like a flashback, because to out right do it whole simply doesn't seem to work… Or I might just simply ignore it. Plans changed.

Disclaimer: Well, I do not own anything but the story plot.

**PS: For those I unconsciously traumatized with my omake… Well, that partially my intention, but I'm sorry none the less. I'll try and traumatize you all next time… Sorry, I'm joking, please don't leave T_T…**

XXXXXXXXXX

Silence reign over the Highwind as Sora and company silently crews the ship towards Destiny Island. This silence is tense and heavy, as if any sudden movement will send forth the legend of hell.

However, this silence isn't due to some dangerous threat or even some foreboding feeling. It has nothing to do with the end of the world or the destruction of the universe. It has neither nothing to do with Kingdom Heart nor does it have anything to do with some new secret organization that suddenly sprains up. In fact, this silence has absolutely nothing to do with anything even remotely evil or dark.

What this silence has to do with, is the fact that even after putting Leon through every interrogation/bribe techniques known to high school students, they learned nothing except…

"_Oh… he's blonde."_

"_I told you he is more than six feet right?"_

"_Blue eyes, whisker marks, and spiky hair style… sort of like Cloud actually, except not as wild."_

"_Wears a coat, long pants, and muscle shirts… oh, and he can change them at a notice."_

"_Did I ever mention that he is a ninja like Yuffie?"_

"_He is not some evil force set out to destroy the worlds or conquer the universe."_

"_I think he is seventeen… or was it eighteen Aerith? You don't know either? Oh well, that's too bad I suppose."_

"_Hmm, he has a lot of potential like you, except he is already very powerful…"_

"_Oh, I do believe he has Alice with him…"_

"_Ramen… he likes ramen and can devoir it like a black hole that sucks in everything."_

"_He and Cloud don't seem to see eye to eye for some strange reason… Maybe it's because you brood too much? …Don't deny it Cloud, and it's Leon!"_

"_An over all nice man… who Yuffie seems to have her eyes one… Don't throw the couch Yuffie."_

As you can imagine… this is relatively useless information. Everything Leon told them is basically useless except this: _"Where is he now? I don't know. You tell me. You're the guy that trouble goes to when it wants something."_

…Well, it's still useless. In fact, it's so useless that it sends Sora and Riku into a berserker rage that has Aerith on their case for an entire day, chew their ears off. It also sends Kairi into a thinking phase that cost them a whole carton of ice cream in one day. Of course, the conclusion that the Princess of Hearts come up with after a while is this: "Well… if there isn't anyone or anything threatening to destroy the universe… why aren't we in school?"

This then triggers: "OH SHIT! I FORGOT!! MOM IS GOING TO KILL ME!!!" from Sora and "Oh damn… I just remember that project I was supposed to do with a partner…" from Riku.

So here they are, two weeks since they arrived on Radiant Garden and heading towards Destiny Island… and silently preparing for the possible lectures that are seemly inevitable (kids don't disappear all of a sudden without a reason you know? And generally those reasons give off a negative connotation). Of course they dropped off Donald and Goofy first, but they kept the Gummy Ship just in case they have to leave in a hurry. They left the task of searching for King Mickey behind for now as it seems Leon isn't overly concerned about him disappearing once more. All Leon wonders is if the King will contact them at all.

Either way, the trio silently makes their way into Destiny Island, parks the ship somewhere to conceal it, and slowly heads home to the main island.

Imagine their surprise when they first go to drop Kairi off by her door, opens her door, only to find an unknown lady with blonde hair down to her waist, aqua green eyes that seems to flash either green or blue, and two antennas like strands sticking out of her head… Well, she is relatively unknown to everyone but Riku.

"Larxene…? What are you doing here? How are you alive actually?"

All that the woman identified as Larxene can do is developing a twitch at her left eye brow and says, "…Oh bugger… it's you brats…" Then she jumps over their head, rushes to the house of Kairi's neighbor, and shouts, "NARUTO!! WE'RE LEAVING NOW!"

"_By the way… his name is Naruto…"_

"…Isn't that the name of the person who took Alice?" Sora questions as the three watches the woman rushes into the house. Silence reign for a moment… and then they rushes into action.

How did this happen you asks? Well…

XXXXXXXXXX

**Day Naruto and Alice arrived at the strange world with the strange castle… Day 1.**

"So Elder Gutknecht just sort of… told you to open the door because he thinks you're ready now?" Alice asks as they wonder the relatively bizarre, inside-bigger-than-outside, entirely-too-white, and completely deserted castle. So far they have located a lot of strange things, little tinkers, and even the occasional heartless that are relatively weak compared to the ones Naruto fought before. Seriously, how can a bat with hook do any damage at all? "Now here we are, sucked into some portal and ended up in some world that I don't even know the name of. Added to that, I can't seem to summon the Corridor of Light… hmm…"

"…Alright already… I already say I'm sorry." Naruto says with a sigh as he drags his feet to meet up with Alice's stomping. He can easily tell the girl is really mad at him… but what else can he do? He was curious, and the elder says that this is what they are searching for.

Alice just huffs some more and pouts an angry pout (that still looks remarkably cute) and stomps faster. Making a sudden turn, she kicks open a door, instinctively grabs the Shadow by her feet, and chucks it at Naruto who easily cleaves it into two. "You were supposed to let that hit you…"

"…Sorry…"

Deciding to ignore him, Alice continues to wonder the hall of the castle, leaving no rooms unturned or corner unchecked. So far, she sees nothing worth mentioning. She finds no room that catches her attention. She also doesn't find any reason to distract herself from being both angry with Naruto and feeling a little afraid of him.

Alice won't say it out loud nor will she admits it, but she is scared of Naruto. The cruelty and savagery he'd shown back in Victoria Garden is something she was never expecting nor exposed to. He cuts into the Heartless with no hesitation, and Alice can understand why he shouldn't. It's the fact that he went after Lord Barkis like a man with a purpose that Alice knows for a fact that there are things about Naruto that she will never agree with or face, let along accept them.

But that's where the problem comes in; for all intends and purposes, he is Naruto, her loveable, cuddly and warm (and maybe even fuzzy because he's hair feels like fur…) surrogate brother. That makes him family, and you don't turn your back on your family. Well, she doesn't turn her back on family, and that is not going to change any time soon.

Of course, that still leaves issues like what exactly is her stand on Naruto at the moment? …Come to think of it, they never get Naruto's last name… Well, Alice never did, as everyone else just assume all he remembers is the name Naruto. So here it is, another thing that Alice finds that adds to the growing list of things that simply convince her ever more that she doesn't know her surrogate brother at all. When she puts all those pieces together, Alice can easily deduct this fact: she loves a stranger like a family.

If asked, Alice will tell you, with a frown and a cute pout that Naruto is her beloved surrogate brother, and she wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. That is true, and she will never deny it. The problem is she doesn't even know her own surrogate brother. So how does she justify loving a stranger?

"Alice? Are you alright?" Naruto's concerned voice brings Alice out of her trance. Looking around, the Princess of Hearts see that they have somehow stumbled into a kitchen –whether it's the main kitchen or not remained to be seen. It looks pretty modern as Aerith puts it. A stove, an oven, a huge refrigerator, a sink, a microwave, and everything you can expect inside a modern kitchen. There is nothing that is in the least bit questionable. There are no Heartless, no puzzles they need to solve, and nothing like that very creepy lab they ran into not too long ago. The kitchen is clean, it's spotless, and it shines! "Well… I don't know about you, but I'm rather hungry. And I'm going to assume you are too because you're rather grumpy at the moment."

A tick develops on Alice's head as she heard that. Sucking in a breath, she says, "Brother dear, I'm not grumpy. I'm angry. There is a difference between the two. And for the record, I am not –**GROWL~~!**- …Alright, I'll admit, I'm hungry, but THAT doesn't mean I'm grumpy! I do NOT become grumpy when I'm hungry." The girl finishes with a blush while ignoring the smug smile on Naruto's face. Stomping with renewed vigor into the kitchen, she all but yanks the fridge's door of its hinges and peer inside. What she sees surprise her. "…It appears this castle is not as abandoned as we initially thought."

Curious, Naruto walks over and looks into the refrigerator. Inside, it's packed full with everything one would need to cook several course of meals. There are vegetables, eggs, different spices (that also reminds him of that spice shelf not too far away), sauces like ketchup, and even deserts like that tempting fruit cake. Seeing this, Naruto assumes that the freezer is probably packed too with meat and ice cream. When he reaches over and pulls it open, wonders of wonders he finds what he suspects to be in them: meat and ice creams.

"…So… are you cooking tonight?"

"…"

"Please Alice?"

"…"

"Pretty please?"

"…Oh fine. I'll cook. And I'll most likely do the rest of the meals here too since I don't really trust your cooking skill."

"YES!" Here, Naruto shouts in triumph, completely ignoring the jab at his cooking skill. And to tell the truth, he doesn't mind either, because he really can't cook much. Besides, it's Alice's cooking he's talking about, and he really miss them.

"But you're doing the dishes." **P-FUSH!** "Hey, where do you think you're…?! Oh~ brother dear… COME BACK HERE AND TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!"

XXXXXXXXXX

**Day 2…**

After eating to their hearts' content and sleeping the rest of the day off, Alice once more finds herself pondering upon the issue that is Naruto. The room that they have commandeered for themselves happens to have a window, and it is this window that Alice now sits by and gazes out at the seemly empty nothingness.

Her mind wonders as she visits all those memories that she made with Naruto, from the day he nearly smashed her by falling literally out of the sky to yesterday when he did the dishes while grumbling about God knows what. For all the short time that Alice knew Naruto, he never did or said anything that hurts her in any way. The closest he ever came to harming her is when he decided to leave without saying a goodbye. It's a good thing she caught him and forced herself onto him that she isn't crying her eyes out at the moment.

Alice in no way doubts that Naruto has the best of intention. He does everything with the golden heart and for a good purpose. Justice would probably describe what Naruto has in mind when he puts his nose into someone else's business, and that also includes keeping annoying suitors as well as shady characters away from her sister and her. And just recently, she learns through intuition and action that if it means the world will be better off with one less person, then so be it.

"…Brother, just who are you?" Alice asks the air listlessly as she rests her cheek in one hand. "This is rather bothersome. I wish I know a little more about you."

"No you won't."

"EEP!" Jumping out of her chair and turning around, Alice glares at Naruto while she puts her hand on her racing heart. Seeing no outward reaction from the young man, Alice says, "B-brother, you scared me." Taking a few deep breaths, the girl easily controls her heart and regains her composure… somewhat. Then she remembers what he said, and she asks, "What do you mean…?"

"Just what I said; you don't want to get to know me. Just know me as Naruto, your surrogate brother is all I asks." Naruto elaborates with a rather blank face. Alice can see nothing from that face, and it disturbs her. Usually he was so expressive… Naruto sighs as he turns around and grabs his discarded coat, puts it on, and turns around with a large smile that Alice inwardly flinches at the fakeness of it. "Well, whatever, let's go and explore the castle some more. I think we still have like two floors to check." With that, Naruto turns and marches out the door, all the while whistling a merry tune.

Once again, Alice is reminded why she hates it when Naruto's smiles grew too big.

XXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the day, Naruto and Alice searched the last two floor of the castle, once again finding strange tinkers, gadgets, little items, more rooms, and of course, the occasional Heartless. Of course, today, they manage to run into some Creeper Nobodies, but other than that, the duo has no other excitement for the day.

It is as they sit down once more for the last meal of the day that Alice finds herself locking her blue eyes onto Naruto's figure. If she didn't know any better, Alice would have just writes him off as another human with ordinary life, ordinary background and ordinary abilities. But of course, Naruto is anything but ordinary… "…Would you at least tell me your last name?" Alice suddenly finds herself blurting out the question. The girl suddenly wishes that there is a hole that appears and swallows her up due to her embarrassment… but she doesn't regrets asking it.

"Hmm? What's this all about?" Naruto asks, cocking an eye brow as he watches Alice squirm under his gaze. He finds it strange why the girl would be so uncomfortable with the question.

"W-well… I'm just curious and all. I hardly know anything about you, and I see you as my surrogate big brother… A-and the thing is… umm…" Alice trails off as she couldn't find any reason for him to tell her his last name. In fact, why should he tell her his last name? "…U-um… I'm s-sorry. That is very rude of me. I a-apologize for such behavior." As she finishes, Alice quickly returns to her own portion of the meal, wishing again for a bottomless fissure will appears and swallows her up so that she doesn't have to face Naruto's amusement.

Oh why oh why did she blur out that question again?

"…Namikaze…"

Alice blinks once, then twice before raising her head to gazes at Naruto. The elder blonde has this fond smile on his face and the younger blonde has no doubt that it's due to the meaning behind that name. But his eyes are so sad. "P-pardon me?"

"It's Namikaze, my last name. My full name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto… or from what I gathered from your culture, it'd be Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki huh?"

"…I… suppose… it's an interesting name." Alice says with wide eyes, thinking just where she had heard the name Namikaze before, let along Uzumaki… Well, he's from another world, so it's not that strange now is it? "…Thank you for telling me. And in exchange, my full name is Alice Pleasance Liddell…" (1)

Naruto, after hearing that, smiles and says, "That's a nice name… Pleasance huh…"

With that, the conversation ended and the two return to their own respective meal. A silence falls over them, the only sound is the occasional sound from utensils hitting against each other. Of course, if there is a spectator, they will observe the way their lips curl up in a soft smile.

"Wait… did you say Namikaze?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Alice blinks, and Naruto blinks, and they both blink as they stare at the letter that the two fished out of their backpack. It's a simple letter, without an address or a return address, and simply addressed to Namikaze Naruto. A rather simple envelope that Alice fished out of their backpack after digging into it while looking for anything other than the strange bubbling bottle, the potions, and the letter from Master Yen Sid.

That's all there is to it. A simple envelope with "To Namikaze Naruto" printed on the front in some rather neat and fancy writing. It is just a regular, standard size envelope with the name and the seal on the back that resembles a rose made of wax. Of course, there is the question as to how in the name of the universe did it get into their backpack when it wasn't there in the beginning?

"Maybe someone in Victoria Garden slipped it in?" Alice supplies as she continues to stare at the letter, racking her brain as to just where have she seen it. It looks really familiar, and Alice has this very strange feeling that should she open it, she'll know the content of it. "…Or maybe the Cheshire cat did it…" The girl mumbles out the last part under her breath as an annoyed pout appears on her face. That pink cat is never helpful.

"The who?" Naruto asks as he caught the last part due to slightly enhanced hearing. He could have sworn Alice just said something about a cat.

"Nothing!" The girl quickly denies, and watching Naruto shrugs, she lets out a silent sigh before returning to scrutinize the letter. "Still… what do you think we do with it?" Alice asks as she turns to look up at the elder blonde, whose face is now scrunched up in a frown. She can easily tell that he is contemplating his options. Even though she doesn't know the world fully, Alice can understand Naruto's misgiving over this mysterious letter. After all, would you really open a letter that was given to you with no explanation, no return address, and no way of knowing that it's nothing bad?

At that moment, across many dimensions and many universes, a lot of people suddenly sneezed. (2)

"So…?" Alice prompts once more, deciding that she will leave the decision to Naruto. He is more experienced in this matter than her obviously. "What are you going to do about it?"

Naruto grunts a little before he makes his mind up. Nodding as if to confirm his decision, Naruto signals for Alice to stand back and says, "Alright, if anything is to happen, I want you to run, got it?" When Alice nods, Naruto nods too before he forms a familiar hand sign.

In a poof of smoke, a clone appears by his side, nearly making Alice's eyes to pop out while the clone sweat drops. The clone looks at the original a little and says, "You know, you suck…"

"Yeah, whatever. Now get on with it." The original says before he quickly dashes to Alice's side, ignoring the way she's making a very convincing imitation of a gold fish. Looping an arm around her waist, Naruto makes a thumb-up sign to the clone, who grumbles something about stupid creator and something along the line. The two blondes watch as the clone picks up the letter, squats, holds it at arm length, and ever so slowly reaches forward. Gulping, the clone takes an edge of the letter, and in one breath, rips it open!

"GYAAAAHHH!!!" The clone screams!

"WAAAHH!!" The original screams as well and covers Alice with his body.

"EEP!" Alice yelps as she finds herself picked up rather suddenly and smashed into Naruto's chest. Closing their eyes, the three awaits for something bad to happen…

…Nothing happens…

"…Sorry folks, false alarm."

**THUD!** Mr. Naruto, meet Mr. Floor. "OOF! B-brother! Get off me!"

With little to no warning, the original Naruto jumps onto his feet, marches over to the clone, and quickly delivers a vicious chop onto its head while shouting, "GOOD FOR NOTHING CLONE!! DON'T SCARE US LIKE THAT!!" Seeing the clone disappear in a poof of smoke and taking note of the additional memories in his head, Naruto sighs as he picks up the letter before turning around to a rather annoyed Alice. "Well, it seems it's nothing dangerous."

Alice huffs in annoyance as she dusts herself off. Turning to face Naruto, she levels a glare at him and says, "I'm not going to bother with that… replica. In retrospect, his action is your action right?"

"…Ehehe…"

"Well, forget it." Alice huffs once more before walking over to stands expectantly in front of Naruto. When she receives no respond, she starts tapping her foot and glares even harder. "Well…?"

"Jeez, someone is grumpy." Naruto says with a shrug and easily reaches into the envelope and pulls out a simple letter. Reading it over quickly, he blinks at the content. Turning it over, he quickly reads the back once more, and he blinks once more. Now this is a strange letter. "Huh, I wonder who this could be from."

"To wind or not to wind." Alice sudden says, catching Naruto's attention as her blue eyes lock onto the letter. "Circle one of the two choices in the front. Replace the letter into the envelope, then simply place it within a drawer or burn it. If choose "To Wind," be sure to expect the package quickly. If choose "Not to Wind," think nothing of this and simply forget it." Alice easily repeats the instruction upon the letter, and Naruto starts at the fact that she hasn't even read it. He also has the envelope covering the letter from her view, so just how did she…? "I don't know how I know what was in it… Maybe it's because of that dream?"

"What dream?"

"…Never mind. You probably won't understand." Alice says waving her hand, as if to fan away the issue. Taking the letter from Naruto's hand, she exams it with a critical eyes before looking up into the elder blonde's eyes. "So brother, what are you going to do about this?"

XXXXXXXXXX

**Day 3.**

"So we still don't know what to do with that mysterious letter?" Alice asks as she brushes her hair with a comb she found simply lying around. When she got to a knot, she winces in pain before pulling it out front to look closer at it. "Oh dear… it would appears I really do need a trim. Still, brother dear, what will you do?"

"…I don't know." Naruto says as he throws his hands up. Thinking back on it, he really doesn't know what to do about the letter. In fact, he usually just wings it. "I'll humor whoever sends this I guess." With that said, Naruto grabs the letter left rather casually on the bed in the bedroom they'd occupied, and reach for a pen… or a pencil… or any writing utensils… "Do we have anything used for writing?"

"…That's a problem…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Found anything?"

"Nope, you dear brother?"

"A pair of socks, some chewed up sneaker, a slipper that saw better days, a wheel of cheese that stinks but taste surprisingly good, a wine collection, more Heartless than I care to count, more Nobodies… Oh, and I almost forgot." At this moment, Alice finds a pair of silvery appendage snakes around Naruto's neck. The next thing Alice knows is staring full on at a Dancer Nobody sticking herself onto Naruto like no tomorrow. "I found an old friend."

"…Indeed…" The girl grounds out before turning around and promptly walks towards the direction she just came from without even a glance backward. All she does is walk away with her head held high and what looks to be stomping…

For some reason, Naruto has this distinct feeling that Alice is not very happy at the moment.

"…You mind letting me go now? …Hey, don't look at me like that, this is your fault! …What do you mean I'm cheating on her? We're not even dating! And she's… she's Alice for Kingdom Heart's sake! …Oh whatever, you suck…. No, you suck… You suck enough that I don't have to suck… I'm arguing with a Nobody, I must be going crazy… Oh, you shut up! And stop laughing!... Hey, what does this have to do with my dick?!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well, at least we found a pen." Naruto says nervously as he holds up the pen. Right in front of him, Alice only huffs in annoyance before gesturing to the letter lying on one of the two beds. Naruto chuckles nervously again as he starts toward the letter, only to see the familiar silver blur that zooms onto the bed and then zooms right in front of him. With that done, the Dancer literally shoves the letter into Naruto's chest, waves good bye, and pops out of existence… or a Corridor of Darkness to be more precise.

Shrugging at the glare Alice aims at him, Naruto offers her a rather weak grin and quickly opens the letter, circles "Wind," shoves it back in, seal it and then channels enough chakra into it that it combusts into a small fireball the size of a baseball. Now that's out of the way, it's time to placate a rather annoyed surrogate sister that is angry with him for whatever reason… Why is she angry? "…So… mind telling me what I did this time?"

Alice just makes a noise at the back of her throat before tilting her heads, all the while maintaining a frown on her face. Thinking back on it now… why was she angry? "You know brother dear… I don't know why, but I'm kind of annoyed with that Dancer…"

"And why would you be annoyed at her? You never show anything other than amusement at the swarm of fangirls before." Naruto reasons immediately, not really thinking about it, but rather just tossing out the first thing that comes to his mind. He half berates himself for it and half congratulates himself because while that habit got him into a lot of trouble before, it also helps save his ass from plenty. Now happens to be the 50% that saves his ass. Or was it 95% kicking his ass and 5% saving it? "Besides, she is a Nobody…"

"I know… it's just…" At here, Alice pauses to try and find the right expression. Finding none, she just sighs and shrugs her shoulder. Deciding to drop the matter, she shrugs again and quickly replaces her frown with a smile and says, "Well, whatever it is, it doesn't matter too much I suppose. Now what do you say we go and grab some dinner?"

"Sounds good…" Naruto says with a relieved smile before he follows Alice out of the room… or tries to before he finds her tripping on something.

"OH DEAR! What in the… huh? Now who could have put this black box here?" Alice yelps then says as she notices the rather large box that is now tangled up in her legs. One thing that stands up to her though is the rose-like symbol on its top. It's identical to the small one she found on the letter. "…When it said the reply will be swift, I didn't expect it to be this swift."

Naruto peers at the box in shock and a little suspicion, as a healthy dose of suspicion is always a good thing to have for a ninja. He learned that the hard way. Still, looking at the case, Naruto carefully picks it up by the latch and sets it onto his bed. Whatever it is that people say, he will not open the box… at least not yet. "It is rather fast… and suspicious. Come Alice, we'll leave this here for now and see to it tomorrow." After that, Naruto swiftly walks out of the room, not even glancing back at the case. Alice glances back at the case in curiosity before she too quickly left the room and never glances back.

She has dinner to prepare.

XXXXXXXXXX

For the next three days, Alice and Naruto mind their own business and continue to explore the rather vast castle. They have yet to go down to the basement, thinking that they'll probably want to get every little thing, even the tiniest little detail to be committed to mind. It is a precaution that Naruto insisted upon, and Alice doesn't mind as she finds it rather fun to explore any secret doorways or unknown tinkers. So far, she is rather disappointed in not finding any secret hallways as she hoped there is. Seriously, what castle doesn't have some secret hallways? Even Master Yen Sid's castle has some… even though she never did mean to stumbles into them though.

Either way, the entire time, the case remains in the room, next to Naruto's bed, and stays locked. It continues to stay locked and so far, not one of them wants to open it. The elder due to the dose of suspicion that refuses to die and the younger because she really doesn't want to disobeys Naruto. She is used to Penelope and her ways of dealing with her and Penelope is used to her antics, but Naruto so far is still mostly unknown territory and she really doesn't want him to be disappointed in her.

So the case remains under lock and out of mind. However, due to them not paying attention to the case, they now find themselves looking at the bobbling substance inside the backpack. It continues to bobbles and gives out flashes of light, but now it looks to be boiling. Not as in the boiling water boiling, but as in angry, raging boiling.

That really doesn't look good.

"You know… this trip is starting to get from bad to worst." Naruto comments as he gazes at the bottle that contains the raging madness. He could of sworn that it divided into thirteen pieces… or was it fourteen?

"Well brother dear, I would point my finger at you, but at the moment, it wouldn't solve anything." Alice intones as she too gazes at the bottle while tilting her head this way and that to try and make some sense out of nothing. So far, she is succeeding in failing in trying to make any sense out of it. "You know… I could have sworn that it is now thirteen different pieces…"

That got Naruto's attention. "Really? Me too… but I think it became fourteen pieces…" Wait… pieces of what? "What is in this thing anyway? Master Yen Sid never did explain what this bottle holds. All he did say is that we will know what to do with it when the time comes." Groaning in agitation, Naruto sighs through his nose as he starts to rob his forehead. This is going to give him a headache. "I wish he was more specific… or at least give us more riddles to plow through."

"I say we open it."

That got him an incredulous stare from Naruto. Alice blinks a few times as she contemplates what she just blurred out before she turns to Naruto. "What? It sort of makes sense. If we don't know what it is, what we can do is open it and see what it is." Alice says and then nods her head in confirmation as her own logic. Naruto continues to stare at her with the same look in his eyes, except this time, his mouth has an obvious down turn to them. Seeing this, Alice decides to push a little further. "Well, what can't just keep carrying that around now can we? It certainly won't do us any good except taking up space at the moment. So what if we open it up and see what's so special about it in the first place?"

Naruto keeps on staring at Alice with the same look on his face, and he continues to do so even after her explanation. The younger blonde finds this action to be particularly annoying. "Ooh would you stop looking at me like that? It makes perfect sense to open it and see what's so important about it right?"

Finally, Naruto responds with, "And by that do you also mean that case next to the bed?" When Alice responds with a beaming smile, Naruto sighs while palming his face. Taking his hand away, he sets his features straight, and simply says, "No."

"WHY NOT?!"

"Because," Naruto starts off as he starts to count off finger with each reason he makes, "one, we don't know if it's some dangerous substance in that bottle. It could be some kind of poison or explosive. Second, the case just appeared suddenly with no explanation in this abandoned castle that is remarkably clean – thank kami for that – so I prefer that it stays under lock and key. Third, you are my responsibility, meaning I must keep you safe and fed – even though you are capable of feeding yourself… mostly. Finally, you can't make me… ARE YOU LISTENING?!?!" Naruto finishes with a shout as he finally notices Alice examining the case with big curious eyes. When the girl just smiles and shakes her head, Naruto's head slumps in defeat before marching over and promptly snatches the case from her much to her protest. "I'll be taking this, thank you very much."

"Hey! No fair!! I want to see what's inside!" Alice pouts as she stomps her right foot as emphasis. She knows she is acting very childish at the moment, but her curiosity is killing her! "And just so you know, I CAN make you…" At this moment, a positively sinister expression appears on her face. "All I need to do… this is…"

"What are you… oh crap!" Naruto starts only to falters as he turns to face the greatest enemy known to men (beside paperwork): the puppy dog eyes! There, Alice's lips are in a pout, and her eyes are big and wide and teary and shiny and… If she has somehow grown a pair of cat ears, they'll be flattened on her head and… and… "N-no… It won't work. N-not on me."

"Pwease…" Alice says in this tiny, pitiful voice that stabs at Naruto's heart with tremendous force. It's as if Sasuke stabbed him in the heart with a Chidori, but unlike the deadly assassination technique, it's a tuck at his heart to bed under her will. And he almost did until he caught himself and steels himself against it.

"I am firm on my decision!" The older blonde shouts, as if to give himself more driving force behind his decision. Nodding to himself, he hugs the case tightly to his chest, huffs, closes his eyes, and turns his head to the opposite direction. However, all of it is for naught when he feels a pair of arms encircles him and a body presses against him.

"Pwetty pwease?" Alice's voice once again tucks at his heart's string, and Naruto twitches as his wall starts to crack. However, he shall not fall. He will not bend to her will and he shall remain firm and steady, as a mountain! He will stand tall and refuse and-

"Pwease, big brother?"

-he shall open the case… Damn it! "Fine… But I'm opening it!"

"Okay!" Alice says cheerfully, jumps up and pecks his cheek with a kiss before quickly bounces towards the beds, the only available place with space to put the case on. Naruto sighs in defeat as he looks at the case in his hands before sighing again and slowly walks toward Alice all the while mumbling under his breath.

"I can't believe this. The great Uzumaki Naruto, who went up against Uchiha Madara and lived to tell the tale as well as stands up to the Kyuubi no Yoko, bested by a little girl who barely knows how to fight… Why me?"

He shall ignore the maddening giggling at the back of his head that sounded oddly like a certain damned kitsune.

Sighing once more for the third time in the last minute, Naruto puts the case on to his bed with the locks facing him. Alice quickly positions herself next to him as he peers eagerly at the mysterious case. Naruto studies the locking mechanism, finding them to actually be a simple press-and-release type; he presses his thumbs against the two bottoms that stick out of the lock, and he pushes them in. The locks click open, signaling that the case is now ready to be opened. For some unknown reason, cold sweat starts to build upon Naruto's forehead while Alice leans closer towards the case, not the least mindful of possible danger that may or may not pop out of the case. Thinking that it's best to get it over with, Naruto pulls open the top and stares…

They both just stare… until Alice shouts out "OH DEAR! THAT'S SO CUTE!!" Alice quickly reaches inside and picks out a doll by its… her armpits. To be more precise, it is a very well-made doll with long, silver hair and a pair of black fluffy wings on her back. What's more, she is in a really cute Gothic styled dress. It consisted of a corset top with long sleeves and a fluffed dress. She wears a pair of black, knee height boots and Alice can sort of guessed what is under that dress. All of it is finished with a black ribbon imbedded with a single rose tied on her head. The skin is also really soft… surprisingly soft for a doll especially considering what she knew about dolls. "Oh wow… this is wonderful. I wonder who made this."

Naruto continues to stare at the doll, his instinct telling him that there is more to it… her than meets the eyes. There is just something that tickles at his senses… something spectacular… or something, as Shikamaru will say, troublesome. Whatever it is, this doll will cause him a lot of problems… he just knows it, and his guts screams it too. So imagine his surprising and growing dread when the doll suddenly yawns, stretches, and blinks open her eyes to reveal a pair of stunning purple eyes… that widens for a few seconds before she says, "And what… do you think are you doing you stupid human? Put me down this instance!"

Alice is struck speechless while her mouth forms an "o." Naruto groans in exasperation as he palms his face. The doll just crosses her arms, and if her feet are on the ground, she would be tapping on of them.

"…Well? I am waiting and I must inform you that I am not a patient person."

"Brother…?"

"This is… troublesome… A talking doll… this probably do top walking corpses right Alice?"

"BROTHER! That is just plain rude!"

"I'm right HERE you know?"

Naruto grunts in annoyance and starts pacing back and forth. Lots of thoughts and ideas as well as bemoaning rush through his head at an alarming speed. This is really out of his idea of extraordinary. Naruto will admits, that as a shinobi he had seen plenty of strange things ranging from undead priest of Jashin, a guy who had five hearts in his body, a plant guy who can splits in two and has dual personality, giant talking animals, and plenty more just to name a few… But this is really something he doesn't expect to ever see. Puppet that walks and talks (according to Sakura when in regards to Sasori) is one thing… talking dolls… well, doll… But… "Just… put her down for now…"

Hearing this, Alice only nods before setting the silver haired, talking doll down onto the bed. Sure enough as Naruto expected, she stands under her own power. The doll dusts herself off a little before seeming to inspects herself for any form of damage. When she sees none, she nods before, much to Naruto's growing surprise and annoyance; she floats up to Alice's eye level and glares at her. "Alright… which one of you got the case?"

"That would be me…" Naruto says as he squint his eyes at the doll, giving him a fox like look minus a grin. The doll just looks at him, slowly floats a circle around him, and then stops right in front of him. Then…

"Well, at least you are better looking than that other kid… what's his name? Oh it hardly matters." The doll says, causing Naruto to sweat drops at the confusion that sentence causes him. The talking, walking, floating doll just sets herself down at the bed again before doing a simple curtsy with a creepy smile. "Well then, my name is Suigintou, and it is not a pleasure to meet you." Here, she pulls out a large sword from simply not where and then points it at Alice, who has yet to move from her spot and continues, "Now that introduction is over, I suppose this is the part where I kill you both then?"

XXXXXXXXXX

1) This is, and I'm not joking, the actual name of the middle daughter of Henry George Liddell who with her two sisters heard the original version of _Alice's Adventure in Wonderland _by the Reverend Dodgson (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, pen named Lewis Carroll, author of the original story). I'm going to use that name because not only does it sound rather nice, but also because I'm a little too lazy to come up with a middle and last name that stands out. Personally I don't think it's a coincident that the main character in the book is called Alice, but whatever. I'm too lazy to really look into it.

2) Because there are a surprising amount of people that does it XD! One of the most known examples is Harry Potter (even though the letter is actually safe).

AN: First, I'm sorry for the rather slow update, but then again, I can't help if when my inspiration decides to leave me… or that my muse decides to get itself kidnapped.

That out of the way… I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING (TnT)!!! It just sort of… pulled me in this direction. My story has officially developed a mind of its own and somehow it wants to go this way. Still, it shouldn't be that bad. I'll just have to run along with it. Besides, I always plans to throw in the Rozen dolls, the story just made me do it that much more early than what I initially planned.

I did proofed read the thing… several time really. As to how thorough they are… well, I find something every time I did it. I however do not guarantee a perfectly mistake-free chapter. I probably never will produce something that is grammar-error-free. I just hope it isn't something too horrendous when you DO find a mistake though.

Well, hope you guess enjoy the chapter. If you don't… too bad I suppose. I'm mostly writing this for fun, and partially to put in rest the plot bunny that causes me to loose focus on school work… hmm, maybe that's why I'm updating so slow seeing that I'm on summer vacation? …Whatever.

Either way, I hope you enjoy and that you are kind enough to leave a review. I'm probably ruining the story at the moment, but please bear with me and have patient. (Puts on a _Phantom of the Opera_ song) That is all I ask of you~~~.


	14. Chapter 14

Well… there are things in the AN that will be important, so please read it once you're done with the chapter. Otherwise, without further delay, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Err… repetition noted… law sues avoided… now if the owners of those respective anime/cartoon/series will just… give them to me for Christmas…

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stares at the doll that is currently pointing a rather large sword at Alice, who continues to stand at her original spot except with a rather ridiculous surprised expression this time, and he says, "You have got to be shitting me…"

"Brother… would you please watch your language even though the situation seems fitting?" Apparently, a lady is still a lady despite the circumstances. "Of course, the situation seems to call for it. So I suppose that I'll agree with you this time… You have got to be shitting me…" Or maybe not.

Suigintou shrugs a little, her creepy smile widens into a full blown grin that would be rather attractive in another situation, and says, "Well, I'm not, as you two so elegantly put it shitting you. So, I think I'll start with sticking you like a pig." The doll says, and with all her might thrusts forward. Alice in a moment of utter fear and desperation performs a perfect bridge by bending backward. It saves her from being impaled as well as given Naruto the opening to rushes in and parries the sword with Path of Redemption.

Seeing this, Suigintou quickly adapts and instantly moves into Naruto's defense, her sword already on its path to separate his head from his body. This time, it is Naruto's term to execute a perfect bridge that then turns into a flip, sending his feet speeding towards the levitating doll. When he feels nothing connecting with his feet, Naruto continues with his course of action and returns quickly to his feet, Keyblade held high in an offensive fashion. He quickly proves just how offensive by sending it forward in a powerful downward slash that he knew gave Cid some trouble back in the training day. Of course, the law that smaller opponents are almost always harder to hit is proven once more when the silver-haired doll simply side-floats, twists around, and with a battle cry sends the blade towards his neck once more.

By sheer instinct and luck, his right arm flies up, bringing the Path of Redemption into the path of the blade while his left fist flies out towards the Suigintou's face. She uses her unoccupied hand to pushes herself above the fist while kicking out her right leg. Naruto twists his head out of the way before jumping backwards while pushing her away via the Keyblade. She retaliates by barrel-rolling backwards and somehow make the pair of black wings on her back grows, and much to Naruto's displeasure and surprise, shoots feathers. He jumps up as high as he dares without injuring his head on the ceiling and return fire with his energy shurikens.

The battle continues pretty much in this fashion, with them attacking and countering each other's move, so far neither getting the better of the other. That is what Alice, having recovered from her really weird near-death experience sees. Of course, then she has several more near-death experience when some stray feathers and energy projectiles come her way. She was a little skeptical about the feathers… but well, let's just says she changed her mind REALLY quickly when it not only clips off a few strains of her hair, but also embedded itself rather deep into the wall behind her. "You think there were made for each other…" She mumbles quietly to herself as she finds some shelter by throwing herself onto the side of one of the two beds. Gathering some courage that she curses herself for even having, she peeks out a little to see the battle that continues to trash the room with a deadly ferocity. Sure enough, none of the two combatants drew first blood or left any scratches on their opponent except on the poor bedroom.

They counter each other so perfectly that Alice wonders if by some very strange fate that they really WERE made for each other. "And there you have it folks, I'm going bunker."

He gives out a standard roundhouse kick that the doll easily ducks under while she offers a straight thrust that he rolls out of the way. He throws the Keyblade out, which she rolls out of the way while using the rolling momentum to return the favor by tossing her sword back. He jumps over it and thrusts his right hand forward with a really pretty blue ball of something in his hand, and she commands one of her wings to turn into a dragon head that roars toward the young man.

The two attacks connected, push against each other for a few second, and then exploded with a rather spectacular light show and raining raven-black feathers. Here, the battle comes to a pause as the two combatants observe the scene from the opposite side of the room that they ended up in due to the rather spectacular explosion. Here, Alice once more peek out from behind her –rather ruined and mangled- shelter that was once a bed, and grimace at the damage they managed to dealt out in a few short minutes.

There is only one coherent thought that enters all three's mind and it is 'Oh wow, I am not responsible for the cleaning, fixing, and redecorating of this room…'

"Well, I must say I'm impressed about your strength." Suigintou comments with sarcasm as she regains her composure and quickly retakes the air. "But it is not enough against me. So you might as well give up and I shall grant you a quick and painless death even though I can't guarantee it'll be clean." Here, the sword that is stuck in the wall not too far away bursts into feather before reforming in her rather petite hands. "So what say you?"

"You are one shitty doll you know that?" Naruto grounds out as he stands up and summons Path of Redemption into his hands. "Why can't you just stand still so I can end your annoying existence and save me from more trouble in the future?" When he finishes, Naruto once more takes up an offensive stance with his Keyblade held out front. "Oh wait, why am I asking for permission to toast your wooden ass?"

"For you information, I'm made of clay and something else that you wouldn't even DREAM of understanding." Suigintou says with a smug smile on her face when she sees Naruto catching on to her insult to his intelligence. So far, even though she will never admit it, she really is impressed with the blonde's ability… speaking of which, where is the younger one?

"Umm… is it possible that we simply… put our differences aside at the moment and talk this over?" A meek and frightened voice says from somewhere behind one of the –totally trashed and minced- beds. The two combatants look over to see Alice peeking the top of her head just enough to show her nervous blue eyes, which are big and teary. Seeing this, Naruto groans at the prospect that she's going to cry, and he was never good with crying females, be it a little girl or a grown woman. Add that to the fact that he really, really does not know how to calm Alice down nearly sends him into a panic. On the other hand, Suigintou has this amused expression on her face as she survey the girl, or what she can see of her. "…Umm… please?"

Naruto looks ready to drop his weapon, but that's only him as Suigintou mock hums and says rather suddenly, "No." She then tosses her sword at Alice.

Naruto quickly reacts and jumps into the sword's path and then knocks it away. "You shitty doll, that was cheap!"

"All is fair in love and war." The doll replies with the same creepy smile that started it all and she quickly summons back her sword. "Quite the wise saying, wouldn't you agree you stupid boy?"

That comments simply rubes Naruto the wrong way, and he shows it by retorting, "Not wise enough if some stupid doll can repeats it. And don't call me boy unless you're old enough to be my grandmother. Or are you old enough to be my great grandmother?" When Naruto sees the doll's smile becomes a little strained, he knows that he just hit a bottom. "Ooh, what's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Or is old age catching up to you?" That smile has turned from slightly strained to down right forced, and Naruto can see the slight twitching right below her left eye. Now all he needs is a single push… "Hey granny, what are you waiting for? Is your hearing impaired or your joints can't take it? I'm waiting right here you know?"

Twitching right eyebrow, shaking hands, gritting teeth, and-

"Bah, you're just an old pile of fossil it seems."

In her sympathy for the doll, Alice can almost hear something snapping. (1)

"I WILL ENJOY GUTTING YOU LIKE THE FILTHY ANIMAL YOU ARE!" Suigintou roars in fury as she rushes the smirking blonde with sword held high and eyes burning. He will learn that one do not scorn a woman without repercussion… or so she hopes when he seemly dances out of her strikes. It doesn't matter if she tries to maim him with her sword, porcupine him with feathers, or feed him to her dragons, nothing seems to even touch him. A small voice in the back of her head is shouting at her to calm down, for anger tends to make one lose focus, but the majority of her screams in fury at the older blonde.

In fact, she is so angry that she completely forgotten about the younger blonde. Thus that presents the situation for Alice of whether she should a) appease the doll so that they may settle their difference through words, b) help her surrogate brother to subdue the doll so that they may settle this dispute through words, or c) crosses her fingers and hope Naruto is the one that comes out of this ridiculous fight as the victor because otherwise she'd most likely be dead. All three choices seem to involve attracting attentions to her when she clearly does not want any at the moment. It's all good and stuff in her mind, but in reality, what can a mouse do between the struggles of two pissed-off tigers? Well, hide and pray that they don't trample it in their fury.

Of course, all of that changed when Suigintou sliced through the container of the weird and bubbling as Alice dubbed it, and Naruto is too caught up in his amusement to notice. So in ever growing amount of horror, Alice watches as the top half of the bottle slides diagonal down the side, spilling a dubious amount of some liquid, and has this blob of… something dark and bubbling while giving off occasional flashes of light rolls onto the floor, and keep rolling and rolling, miraculously managing to keep itself out of Naruto's foot work, and stops RIGHT SMACK in front of her.

The gods has a sick sense of humor since they decided to involve the one person who doesn't want to be involved at this particular moment. That or she pissed off someone, someplace, somewhere enough in her past life or something that they decided to curse her next life. So without thinking much about what to do or what should be done as per her usual behavior (or at least after her rather strange adventure through Wonderland and then being captured), Alice grounds out, "Oh bugger…"

The blob explodes into, and Alice counts it rather quickly, fourteen pieces. When Alice opens her eyes, never noticing or remembering when she closed them, she finds that those pieces are simply hovering in the air in front of her. The noise of the struggle continues, cluing Alice into the fact that the two are still trying to cut the other into pieces. The Princess of Heart ponders upon the fact that not only was the explosion soundless and lightless (meaning no flashy light), leaving no indication that they were even one piece of blob before the explosion. They seem to urge her to simply reach out and touch them in some way. It doesn't matter what she does, a punch, a slap, an elbow, a flick, a poke; it hardly matters, but they call out for her to simply TOUCH them.

Past experience dictates that she leaves them alone. Instinct tells her that whatever it is, it'll make her life very strange. Knowledge informs her that it's unknown, and could be really dangerous even though it has yet to eat through her flesh. Curiosity demands that she touches them and if it proves safe, cuddle it (because the pieces look extremely cuddly). Nothing in her tells her to run for her life strangely enough… So maybe just poking one won't hurt?

When she does poke one, Alice finds that not only does it not hurt, but also that she is not injured, and that it did not explodes in her face. What it does do though is seemingly sucks in a little of her magic, and simply zooms off, through the two fighters, out the door, and disappear when it turns the corner.

Now that is curious. "I wonder if every single one moves towards the same place…" Alice murmurs as she looks at the remaining thirteen and pick out one of those in the further end of the gathering. Having completely ignoring the chaos going on in the room by now, ("YOU SEXIEST PIG! HOLD STILL SO I CAN GUT YOU!" "IN YOUR PRIME, I'LL MAYBE CONSIDER IT OLD HAG! AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I NEVER MADE REFERENCE TO YOUR SEX!" "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! SO STAY STILL!!") Alice reaches around the individual pieces and pokes the one she picked out.

Just like before, she isn't harmed nor is she in any form of danger. All she feels is once more some of her magic disappearing into it and it then, to her growing surprise and wonder, zooms into a Corridor of Darkness that appears not too far above her head.

Once the Corridor of Darkness closes, Alice turns her attention towards the pieces once more, counting twelve now since two of them ran off to who-knows-where. The girl contemplates touching another, but becomes rather hesitant when she thought about just where they could end up in. While they may not look like that mass that bubbles and gives off sparks of light, it still look rather shady with its new shape of sphere-like structure that is grayish in its appearance. From the last two touch, Alice can safely tells you that they felt like some jelly, hence a squishy feel, but that is all she knows. For all she knows, she could have send two weapons of mass destruction that uses her power to start a change reaction that could possibly take out a lot of things… Oh dear…

"Um… Dear brother of mine?"

"Not now Alice, I'm dealing with some aged goods here." Naruto says as he ducks under a wild slash that is fast enough to cut down most chunnin, but clumsy enough that it hardly give him trouble. It seems that his opponent is really ticked to be this messy.

"ARGH! YOU DAMN IGNORANT! I SHALL HAVE YOUR HIDE!" Suigintou screams in frustration as she sends one of her wing dragons towards the older blonde. He dodges it of course, but the doll is too preoccupied with thoughts of revenge to really think it through at the moment.

Alice chews her lower lips at the dismissal. Her dismay only grows by the second as she continues to look between the blobs as she so elegantly deemed them and her surrogate brother. She needs assistance now, for this is really urgent. "Brother, this really isn't the time."

"Well Alice, it also isn't the time to distract me." Naruto retorts as he dives under a rather vicious double dragon attack. He rolls to the other side of the room and quickly bounds up onto his feet once more only to see Suigintou already heading for him with a battle cry. The shinobi will admit, if nothing else, the doll is very persistence.

It is due to him rolling to the other side of the room that Naruto chance to catch a glance of the bottle that once holds the bubbling matter. Thus is the keyword: once. That is when Alice's words and the slight hint of panic register in his mind. After a nanosecond of thinking and computing, Naruto comes up with the conclusion that whatever happened, it might not be a good idea to ignore it. Then it occurs to his oh-so-brilliant mind that the doll is still gunning for his head, and as such he has no opening to deal with this.

Not unless he can be in two places at once…

He is such an idiot!

XXXXXXXXXX

Suigintou really isn't sure what happened. All she knows is that she woke up somewhere with a girl and a young man. It really wasn't such a bad thing; it was just that she rather not have a median. She has been able to survived without one for a long time now, and she isn't about to be depending on another.

So after she gave her name to the two humans, she settled her mind into ridding herself of them. Oh, it didn't have to be killing as she putted it. A simple hit to the neck with the side of her sword should be enough to render them unconscious and she'll be free (in a sense of speaking because she knows she'll never escape that damned rabbit) and be on her way to mind her own business. But no, it just so happened that the blonde man has some skill… Okay, a lot of skill to be able to put up with her to this extent (and even then, she has a feeling he's not giving it his all). So it led to a rather impressive exchange of moves that would lead most humans dazzled.

Then it got sort of serious as they get into much more advanced stuff. No longer were they simply testing each other's extent, but seriously set out to try and hurt the other. The First of the Rozen Maiden has no idea how it escalated into such state. Maybe he started it, or probably she started it, but in the excitement of it all, Suigintou is pretty sure that it was both of their intention. Still, it was rather fun and refreshing to actually let lose like that with little to no need to hold back.

But then he had to go and insult her AGE! Ooh, the nerve of this human! Sure she is at least over a hundred, maybe even two centuries old, but really, that was just asking for it! (2) Suigintou prides herself in being patient, as what she usually wants to do require a lot of time, so she can handle SOME insults. What the man gave her was quite a bit, and she simply won't stand for it. So like any lady worth her cents, she snapped.

Somewhere in her subconscious, Suigintou berates herself for loosing her cool. Anger usually leads to mistakes due to the inability to focus. While it may be a powerful tool and utilized correctly, what she was doing is anything but. Looking back on it, Suigintou wonders if it's because she has so much anger already buried in her or because the blonde human really has a talent in pissing people off.

Still, that doesn't explain how she finds herself face down with two copies of the blonde man holding her down while a third is currently walking towards the girl… Scratch that; how does that explain the copies in the first place?!

All that she manages to get is a cloud of smoke appears with distinct popping sound, and then the next thing she knows, she is forcefully shoved onto the ground face first while locking her arms in place, and then have her legs immobilized by another pair of hands. That still leaves her with her black wings, but right now, Suigintou figures that with such unknown variables, it might be better to just stay subdued for the moment.

After all, for him to have something that is able to blow away both her and her wing dragon is worth paying a little more attention to. If she dares to grudge his ability, she would probably place him above at least two dolls combined with one of the two being her. She prides herself in being probably the strongest doll in the seven (it is debatable with Shinku), and for him to be able to put her down with such ease is a little troubling. (3)

…Either way, whatever the reason for that damned rabbit to send her here is, she'll stick around just to satisfy her curiosity regarding the blonde man.

XXXXXXXXXX

After a quick cloning and subduing of the rather vengeful doll, Naruto quickly walks over to Alice to see exactly what the situation is. A broken bottle of unknown substance is a potential hazard that he is not willing to ignore in favorite of action. To let loose during a fight is one thing, but to ignore a budding threat is like to ignore Orochimaru standing behind you.

So having set his priority, Naruto has Suigintou subdued in a matter of second and walks up to Alice just to find her peering at twelve floating things that roughly resembles the bubbling substance that was once in the now broken bottle. The curious thing is that Naruto remember counting thirteen the last time he peered into the bottle - maybe fourteen, but he can't be sure as it's rather difficult to separate the masses. But here they are, floating carelessly and looking for all matters and purposes relatively harmless. Yet appearance can be deceiving.

That aside though there is one thing that he is pretty sure he should be alarmed about: there are twelve floating blobs.

Twelve; not thirteen, not fourteen, not eleven, but twelve, floating, squishy-looking, and rather suspicious blobs…

"Why are there twelve blobs?" Naruto asks as he turns his attention to Alice, who takes on an expression that is a mixture of embarrassment, alarm, and sheepishness. How she does that, he doesn't know, and he doesn't care to repeat. It looks rather painful. Still, back to the issue at hand; why are there twelve?

"Umm… you see dear brother, there might have being some issues…" Alice chooses her words carefully as she switches from looking at the blobs to looking at Naruto. Seeing the way his face scrunches up, Alice quickly decides she should just be blunt and be done with it. "Well, you see, I'm a curious girl by nature, and due to that, I sort of touched two of the blobs."

"Oh, so there were fourteen…"

"Yes, but that's beside the point." Alice quickly interrupts as she launches into the rest of her explanation. "You see, when I touched the first one, I felt it suck in some of my magic and then, imagine my surprise, it just zooms off into God knows where. And so, out of curiosity and some strange amusement, I touched the second one just to be sure that I'm not imagining things and wondering if it's the same with every blob. Well, it did suck my magic and it did zoomed off, but it went to another location. After that, I came to the realization that I might unleash something terrible and thus I decide that you might know what to do, yes?"

Once Alice is done, she looks at Naruto rather expectantly. The older blonde just blinks at the girl as he processes the explanation. What he comes up with are these: 1) Alice touched unknown substances without much thought, 2) two of the blobs are gone to who knows where, and 3) said blobs can be doing something terrible… Why oh why must his life be so complicated. "So you basically just touched the damn blob and it just flew off?"

Hearing that, Alice nods her head eagerly and says, "Oh yes, just like this." Here, she touches another blob randomly and it sucks her magic, zooms off into the corridor, and leaving behind a sheepish Alice and a speechless Naruto. After realizing what she did, the girl grins and says, "Umm… oopsy…"

Now Naruto really, really isn't sure if he should be relived that the blob didn't just blow up and taking Alice's finger with it, or be angry that she did it for the third freaking time. He decides that he'll settle for the middle ground. "I simply cannot believe you just did that… I wonder how you survived this long without gaining some scars…"

"Now that is just mean brother. I am not that reckless!" Alice exclaims with indignation, but seeing Naruto's disbelief, she quickly switch tactic. "Very well, name one instance when I am irresponsibly reckless."

"That time with the horses."

"I have to calm them down somehow."

"By jumping onto the lead's neck… Right, then the time with Yuffie's weapon."

"Err… it wasn't that bad. Besides, no one got hurt."

"A poor log did. The incident with the hover board."

"I accidentally stepped on it. The next thing I know, I'm going down hill at high speed."

"…We're getting off topic. The thing is, what do you expect me to do?" Naruto asks as he crosses his arms and scrutinize the remaining eleven blobs. So far, from what Alice old him, two are off to someplace while the third is in the castle seeing it flew off into the corridor. Right at the moment, they have several options, one of which being to search for the third missing blob. That would leave the other eleven here, and at this moment, Naruto really doesn't want anything else to happen. They need something to put the blobs in… what to do, what to do?

XXXXXXXXXX

"Unhand me you mongrel!" Suigintou growls out as she once more renew her struggles against the rope ("where that come from?" Alice had asked as Naruto simply produce a length of rope from… somewhere. "You don't really want to know…" Naruto replied as a shudder ran down his spine for it involved dango, red bean soup, and one particular woman) that now binds her. As to her man-handler, it is none other than the older blonde that now proclaims to be Uzumaki Naruto. The doll knows for one reason or another that his name is really Namikaze Naruto, but at the moment, she is too mad at him to really care. Why is she mad you may ask.

Well… being tied up in ropes with virtually no mobility, being tucked under the arm of the person who binds you, and now being carried like a bag of… something tends to piss anyone off. Add to that is the fact that Suigintou is still rather sour about the whole age comment thing not so long ago and you pretty much got a very angry, very snappy, and very grumpy doll that can't wait to chew your head off at the first opportunity possible, be it literally or metaphorically. She will personally prefer the former of course even if it means getting brain matter and gore all over her.

Now the question is why is she being manhandled? Well… the blonde duo decides to comb the castle… or at least the upper levels, for any possible trace of where that strange blob went. It disappear through the door, so it must be somewhere in the castle. Otherwise, it'll just zooms into a Corridor of Darkness as Alice described with the second unknown blob. And thus, that is their current situation.

"Would you shut your damned mouth? It's already annoying enough that I have to carry you!" Naruto retaliates, gritting his teeth in an act to stall his anger so he doesn't find the first place to chop the doll into fire woods (despite the fact he knows she's not made of wood…).

"Well, if you could have just carried me the normal way, and asks nicely, I wouldn't be BITING YOUR DAMN HEAD OFF!!" Suigintou shouts as she tries to take a bite of Naruto's arm, lowering herself to what she consider is beneath her simply due to the fact that he ticked her off to no end. How in hell's name did she end up with him of all people?!

"YOU'RE NOT BITING MY ARM YOU SHITTY DOLL!! If I have my way, you won't even be out of that damn box!"

"It's a suitcase!! Get with the damn program!"

"Case, box, hardly matter to me! And you're bothering me!!"

"Well that's not my concern!"

"Of course it is, you shitty doll! I would so like to chop you into firewood!"

"I told you and keep telling you, I am made of clay. Get it into your thick head and your pea sized brain!"

"Argh! What it is with you and my intelligence? I'll have you know that I am quite smart!"

"Yeah, for a damn insect!"

"For your information, insects are smarter than they appeared to be. And I knew someone who uses them as weapons. So show some respect to what you would consider as pests!!"

"Umm… guys…" Alice says meekly as she holds the bag their backpack that now also contains the remaining blobs (how they shoved them in there without losing any more blobs is still a mystery to them). So far, the little girl can only trail behind the bickering duo as they (or him at least) runs around the castle searching for the possible weapon of mass destruction, and at this very moment, she figures that they would at least be more worried about the blob possibly obliterating the entire castle than what he did or what she plans to do.

"How the hell did I get stuck with you?!"

"Me? You must have being hit on the head harder than I though you did you ugly doll! You're not stuck with me! I am the one who is stuck with YOU!"

"Let me rephrase that. WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD?! JUST DROP DEAD SO I CAN LEAVE!"

"I like my life thank you very much however it sucks. So why don't YOU drop dead?!"

"My life is worth more than tens of yours! So you drop dead!!"

"No, you drop dead!"

"You!"

"You drop dead!!"

"Ignorant human, I command you to drop dead!"

"You shitty doll, I order you to drop dead!!"

But no! They have to go and argue for argument's sake simply because… well, actually, she'll be pretty angry too if Naruto carries her like that, but that's beside the point! The point is that she never catches their attention, Alice once more steel her courage and says, "Hello!! Searching for possible disaster! Does that ring any bell?"

Naruto suddenly skips to a halt, nearly causing Alice to crashes into him. The older blonde chuckles sheepishly as he scratches his head with his free hand. Alice huffs and puffs in exertion while glaring up at her surrogate brother. He is very loveable, but sometimes he still ticks her off.

"Well, now that I have your attention, can we please get back to what the main focus is?" Alice asks, still huffing and puffing away as she tries to regain her lost breath. In his argument with Suigintou, Naruto has sort of speed up to the point that she finds it tiring to keep up.

Suigintou suddenly has this smirk on her face that Alice feels is going to symbolize trouble for them in the future. She isn't wrong too when the doll says, "You mean the problem that you caused, however unintentional, by touching those blobs?" The doll smirks even more as Alice blushes red in embarrassment while shuffling on her feet. Suigintou would have continue too if it isn't for the hands that now grasp her by the shoulder and start shaking the living day light out of her. "A-A-A-A-ARGH!!"

"You will be nice!" Naruto grounds out as he intensifies the shaking, causing Suigintou to let out some noises that one would associates with growling. Seeing that they are about to start another argument ("The… sixth since we started looking." Alice mumbles out), the Princess of Heart quickly rushes over and delivers a kick to Naruto's shin; hard. "Itai! A-Alice?!"

"Brother, please concentrate on the matter at hand!"

"You mean that matter you caused…"

"Ooh, I am not in the mood for you, you evil doll." Alice grounds out, waving off the proud grin that appears on Suigintou's face before turning back to Naruto. "Either way, can we please hurry up and find that missing blob so I can at least understand what I did?"

"R-right. The blobs." Naruto says as he once more runs off the hall with Alice hot on his heels. All the while, Suigintou once more starts to shout in indignation at the rough way Naruto treats a lady. It would have start another argument is it isn't for Alice's aura of doom that suddenly appears around her. At this moment, Naruto and Suigintou miraculously decided that it is in their best interest and health to not argue any more at the moment.

For someone like Alice, it's creepy to see a doom aura around her; and coming from Suigintou that is saying quite a bit.

XXXXXXXXXX

In a particular route in Radiant Garden, a small blob of something zooms out of a Corridor of Darkness. No body notice the small extra existence on the world, nor did any Heartless reacts to an intrusion through the darkness, suspecting that it is but one more of their kind joining the never ending rank of Darkness.

However, _THEY_ noticed, and soon the blob is surrounded by more and more Nobodies popping into existence, forming a large circle around it.

_THEY _know for a long time now, through which ever means, that even if their body is tarnished and destroyed, the soul remains. The soul will continue to drift so long as the will to survive exist, and Nobodies are created through a strong will to survive, not just through the consumption of the Heart by the Darkness. That is also why the Heartless always out numbers the Nobodies even though the Nobodies are stronger, faster, and more resilient.

Whichever way, the Nobodies have always been aware of the soul that lingers at this particular place. It is strong, stronger than all of them here and it calls out to live once more. Now it has the chance to live again.

The Nobodies start to seemly dance as the blob slowly starts to gather water particles in the air and forming a small sphere. The sphere however continues to grow as more and more water particles gather, and it grows bigger and bigger and bigger until it is about two meters wide in diameter. Then it simply stops.

Then, as if by some hidden signal, it implodes into itself, forming and solidifying into a human shape that then gives birth to color, and then eventually features that defines a human being. Wet blonde hair that cling to the face as tired blue eyes, a face that reeks of exhaustion and a fine and slightly muscled body that shakes in exertion; Demyx the Melodious Nocturne pants as he observes around, curious and amazed that he is standing once more on solid ground, no longer existing simply as a formless entity that begs for existence. He shudders as he remembers that seemly endless struggle against a pull that seems to promise him eternal rest from all the trouble the universe has to offer. Yet there are so much more he wants to do! So much he has yet to do!!

So he struggles, and now… here he is once more. How? He doesn't know. Why? He doesn't give a damn at the moment. Heck, he doesn't even give a damn that he is in his birthday suit or the fact that some of the Dancer Nobodies around him seems to be rather excited for ones who can't feel.

What matters now is that he is alive and breathing once more. He may still be a Nobody, but at least he exists.

Demyx's final thought before he collapses in exhaustion is that he will try to 'fix' his status as a Nobody as soon as possible.

No one in Radiant Garden notice the extra being that now inhibits their world. No one notices either, when all the Nobodies suddenly seem to vanish and leaving behind a void that is quickly filled with more Heartless and taking with _THEM_ the naked blonde that now sleeps peacefully.

"Ara? What… hmm… I wonder…" Well, no one except a very kind and gentle flower girl.

XXXXXXXXXX

The first blob that Alice touched out of curiosity zooms into a deserted hidden lab, and without further ado, starts to gather water vapors in the air. However, it takes it a step further and starts to crystallize them into ice. As such, an orb of ice, perfectly round in every corner and direction, starts to grow. Oddly enough, the room temperature remains the same while the immediate area around the growing sphere of ice seems to freeze before more ice takes over the space. Once again, the orb simply stops growing when it reaches the diameter of two meters wide, and then it implodes.

Well, more like it shattered, into millions upon trillions of tiny pieces that quickly vaporize and return once more into water vapor, or for the larger pieces, scatter onto the floor and slides a distance before stopping. Left in the wake of such beautiful destruction stands a man who appears in his late thirties to mid forties, with long bleached blonde hair, emerald green eyes and a lean face that show his high cheek bones. He is as naked as the day he was born… or strangely enough, he remembers the day his 'other' was born as if he was the one that was born.

It hardly matters… What matters is he is alive, that he is breathing… and that he is stark naked! "Why in the world am I… ah, it hardly matters. What matters is that I'm exhausted. I need a place to sleep… then after that, I need to clean up this damn place. It seems Lexaeus and Zexion had ignored their duties to clean this place up even though I no longer 'exist' in a term of speaking. That does remind me to research more into the soul." The Chilly Alchemist Vexen says as he struggles to remain standing while his body screams for rest. He may not feel, but there is a strange sense of pride that he takes in not showing weakness. It probably is due to being one of the weaker members of the organization, but again, it hardly matters at the moment.

Without much thought, Vexen summons a Corridor of Darkness and drags himself through it, arriving at the room that he once shared with, surprisingly enough, Marluxia (even though he never sleep here, claiming his old age ruins his beauty). He expects to see a dusty room, but relatively unharmed and sleepable. What he finds instead is a room that looks like the result of one of Larxene's bad day that happens to be on her PMSing period.

In short, he finds the room completely, utterly, and totally trashed with shards of glass on one corner, slash marks, cut scars, and strangely enough black feathers scattered around.

It is a war zone…

It was his bedroom (and Marluxia's, but forget him)!!

So Vexen, driven by exhaustion and years of pent up frustration, grabs at his hair and screams, "ARGH?!?! WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE PEOPLE SHOW SOME RESPECT TO THEIR ELDERS?!!? IS IT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR SIMPLY THE RESPECT OF LEAVING THE SLEEPING AREA UNHARMED WHEN THEY ALREADY TRASH MY LAB?!?!?! DAMN YOU BRATS!!!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The third and final blob that Alice lets loose lazily drifts into a particular room after zooming around to get a bearing of the place. Like the two above mentioned, it simply stops and hovers. This time though instead of collecting anything water related, it starts to crackle with electricity. Then, when a small amount is gathered, it starts to pulse like a heart beat.

**Bu-bump! Bu-bump! Bu-bump!**

Louder and louder, the blob starts to grow and it too become a sphere; a sphere of crackling death. Occasionally a stray lightening will hit the floor, leaving on its pristine and white surface an ugly scorch mark, but other wise, the orb of death continues to grow, not minding anything else.

Not even the massive amount of Dancer Nobodies that now gathers in the room.

The orb once more grows to a diameter of two meters, except this time, without shattering or imploding, it rather just… fizzled out.

And leaving behind in its rather lethal appearance a woman in her early twenties with blonde hair that somehow grew out in her inexistence and aqua eyes that shines in both exhaustion and a cruelty that can easily frighten lesser beings. Currently, those eyes are looking at her surrounding, and seeing nothing but Dancer Nobodies, they close and the owner sighs. "Well… this is… unexpected." Her tense body relaxes as there are no immediate threats to deal with, and so logic indicates that she can rest.

She welcomes it too as for some damn reason, she is so fucking tired. Then suddenly, she remembers how she 'dies.' That tenses her body once more, except this time; it is in what is but an imitation of rage. "That fucking brat with his fucking friends… I'll kill them… I'll fucking kill them…" The woman says with such ferocity that it even surprised her at how convincing it is.

"Oi! I hear voices from over here!" A muffled voice shouts from the corridor beyond the room, and every collective being in the room turns toward the door that leads to this room as one. Only the blonde woman glares at it with something other than curiosity.

"W-what? Brother, that can't be right!" Another voice that is distinctively female shouts back, and Larxene, the Savage Nymph knows for a fact that she might be in for a battle even though she just returned to the living. Damn her luck; she blamed it on her past life because this can only be due to her past life pissed off somebody important.

"Well, I'm not wrong. I'm positive I heard a voice."

"Maybe you're just imagining you stupid human!" Oh? A third voice? Damn, her luck can't be worst than this…

"Shut it you shitty doll. I had enough of you already." Huh? A doll? Well, she can gather that the third voice is not a human from the whole comment on… well, human. But a doll?

Larxene has no time to ponder on that however, as at the moment, the double door that leads to this room bursts open, to reveal a blonde girl that appears rather familiar, a blonde young man that seems ticked, and under his arm, a silver-haired doll that looks like she seemed better days.

…Oh wait, isn't she naked?

XXXXXXXXXX

When Naruto felt the sudden building go energy, he distinctively manipulates the trajectory so that they will end up at the location. He suspects it to be the missing third blob, and hopefully, he is right. There is a slight tingle of energy too somewhere in the basement level of the castle, but that could probably just be another Heartless. Still, he wonders if Alice noticed it. Judging by the way Suigintou suddenly tense the same moment he noticed it, Naruto can safely say that she felt the strange shift too.

So after navigating the large place, they ended up in a corridor that leads to a particular room that they visited once and never returned due to its emptiness (despite the fact that it's rather large). However, now it's no longer empty. In fact, there are a lot of Heartless in there is the massive amount of energy he felt is any indication. Well, he suspected them to be Heartless until he heard a distinct female voice.

Ooh, now that is interesting, and Naruto purposely voiced that he heard someone in the room, just loud enough so that his voice will carries into it. Alice responds in shock, and either it's done in purpose or not, her voice is also loud enough. That prompted a small argument between him and Suigintou that is quickly silenced after their mutual ideas were enacted. So after bursting open the door, Naruto grimace at the amount of Dancer Nobodies in the room.

We are talking about a MASSIVE amount of them. He can't handle one of them, and he sure can't handle this many. And he voices his thoughts of this situation as such: "Well shit… this is just peachy…" The thing is that they are all staring at them too, and Naruto can swear that he sees more than one's grin widen.

Then there is that one woman who is naked and glaring hatefully at him. Well, considering his past experience with Jiraiya, he isn't too surprised.

And that is how Naruto literally froze for having almost over looked a very pissed and naked woman. A naked woman is one thing, and a pissed woman is another. But a naked AND pissed woman spells disaster. Past experience dictates he should run, and run like he has never run before just so he can live another day.

Too bad Suigintou isn't helping much. "Ooh, look at what we have here? A naked woman who has such a good figure too. It appears, stupid human, that your luck is either really good, or it sucks to the point of suicidal." The doll says with a mischievous grin as she peers at her frozen captor. Seeing the sweat that starts to roll down his face, the First decides that just one more push should be enough. "Well, what are you waiting for? Don't just ogle her, do something about it!" That's how Suigintou finds herself staring into the seething eyes of Uzumaki Naruto a second later. However, what he said still prompts her to give a cute large grin even though her death and termination seems inevitable.

"…You are fucked up you know that? I fucking hate you so much at this moment…"

"Well, the feeling is mutual."

"AAAAARRGGGGH!!!"

Acting with the battle cry as a signal, Naruto dives to the side just as the naked woman sends a fist crackling with lightening into the spot he was standing not too long ago. It leaves a decent crater the size of a head when she pulls her fist out. Next to her, not too far away, Alice yelps in surprise at the sudden attack and quickly hides behind one of the open double doors. This is not what she expects when she touched those blobs!

As for poor Naruto, he can only stare back and forth between the woman's rage-contorted face, her still crackling fist, and the crater on the ground. After several repeats of the action, he groans and says, "Why is it always lightening? Isn't it enough that I have three Chidori plugged into my chest? Isn't that enough to last a life time?"

"What's a Chidori?" Suigintou asks out of pure curiosity as she looks up from her position on Naruto's chest. How she ends up there, she doesn't know. Too bad she's still tied by ropes though, or she'll be long gone by now. Though she'll admit, he has a rather comfortable chest.

"Thinks an assassination technique that envelopes the hand in lightening and is used as a thrust at high speed. It is very unpleasant and really hurt." Naruto explains as he stands back up to his feet. He remains semi-crouched just in case he needs to dodge once more. He did notice though that none of the Nobodies are engaging him in combat… thanks the Power-That-Be for small favorite.

"Oh, that's nice. I like whoever invented that and whoever thrust that into your chest. Can I meet this person?"

Or maybe not.

"No you shitty doll, he's dead." Naruto grumbles out before squealing and jumping to the side once more to get out of the way of a lightening bolt. Judging by the scorch mark that left behind, it contains one nasty shock. "You know… now really isn't the time to fight."

"Agree… now move before she decides to take my ass with yours!" Suigintou says before shouting as the young man carrying her quickly puts her on his shoulder like a sack of potato and runs away from the naked and pissed as hell woman that's hot on his ass. He wonders if it's self preservation that prompts Suigintou to actually work with him by warning him of any incoming electric bolts, because he knows the way he carries her will lure out even more ferocious argument if it isn't for this situation… Speaking of which, isn't it her fault in the first place? And judging by the way the doll sheepishly glares back at him when he voiced that thought, she knows it too.

So… why is he carrying her?

"Less thinking, more running stupid human!! It takes too much of your brain to think!"

"GAH! NO NEED TO BE RUDE YOU SHITTY DOLL!! Especially when I'm saving your life too!"

"STOP SHOUTING! I'm right here you fucking idiot!" Suigintou shouts back in retaliation, now stuck between being angry at her carrier and being grateful he didn't just throw her at the woman as a distraction.

"STAND STILL SO I CAN FRY YOU!!"

Naruto and Suigintou both grimace at that, because the man knows she will do that if she catches him and the doll because so far, the man has yet to toss her aside in a rather random act of kindness… Maybe it really isn't a good idea to joke about killing them at the introduction?

Off to the entrance, where Alice is hiding behind the door, the Princess of Heart grimaces as she too hears the threat. She loves her brother, yes, but even she knows not to get between a woman's rage and her target. She's seen what Penelope did once with an earl stupid enough to insults her. It leaves her with nightmare for weeks! Now she's seeing Naruto getting chased with his life literally on the line… "Umm… go brother dear! Run faster!"

"ALICE!!! YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

The girl just laughs sheepishly as she gets to work on a way to save her unfortunate surrogate brother… whose suffering is partially due to her. Still, putting the guilt aside for the moment, Alice racks her brain for anything and everything that can at least defuse the situation enough so that Naruto may live another day. Let's see, the situation started because she touched one of the blobs… and that is useless because she is pretty sure that none of the blobs can help her even if she throw it at the woman. She can't throw the blobs also because she doesn't know what they are in the first place anyway… There must be some way to unlock something to…

THAT'S IT!! "Brother! Use the Keyblade for self defense!!"

"Why didn't I think of-?!"

"K-Key… Keyblade…? KEYBLADE!?!?!" The woman pauses as if stroke by something, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open before her eyes lit on fire in a very spectacular display of rage combined with righteous feminine fury. Naruto, seeing this, gulps in true fear that he hasn't feel for a long, long time and once more starts to flee for his life. Suigintou winces too when she sees that because now her carrier's death is pretty much a certainty… that means if she doesn't get off now she'll die too!! She is in no hurry to die a fourth time!!! (4)

"ALICE!! THAT JUST PISS HER OFF EVEN MORE!!" The only blonde male shouts in panic and outrage at the rather helpful hint even though he did bring out the Path of Redemption to redirect or swat away any lightening bolts that got too close for comfort. The woman is getting more and more accurate now. "WHY OH WHY MUST SHE BE NAKED!?! …I'M A FUCKIGN IDIOT!!!" The shinobi shouts as he tosses Suigintou into the air despite her angry protest, quickly sheds his coat, and then tosses it behind him while catching the screaming doll at the same movement. He watches as his coat smacks the woman in the face, stopping her in her track of destruction. The sole surviving member of both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clan gulps in fear as he watches the woman peer at his coat with narrow eyes. He sighs in relief when she quickly shrugs it on and bottoms it close, but his fear quickly returns when his eyes meet with hers.

It seems that while he did provide her a reason for forgiveness, all he did is literally smack some sense into her. He usually prides himself in that, but now he hates himself for that… because sense usually makes people all that more dangerous. His point is further proven when she smirks, her cruelty increases by ten folds and she produces strange yellow kunais from somewhere. Naruto mentally notes that they are identical to the one from his dream the day before he wakes up in Alice's home, but shoves it at the back of his head in favorite of self preservation. So when she throws those kunai, he is ready to deflect them.

He isn't ready for the fact that none of them reached him, but that they form an array on the floor. He neither expects the dark cloud forming above his head nor the woman's increasingly cruel grin. He isn't counting on the fact that Suigintou actually whimpers on his shoulder as he takes her to be a rather proud individual. What he does expect though is for it to hurt like no tomorrow. "…I say the blame is solely on you… you shitty doll…"

"You stupid human… now is not the time…"

That is when a huge lightening descends on them from above.

XXXXXXXXXX

Larxene grins in triumph at finally getting the damn male for getting an eye full of her, or several depending on how you see the situation. Oh sure he gave her his coat to put on, but that still doesn't excuse him from it. Still, now that the adrenaline from the rage is wearing out, she falls onto her behind in exhaustion, panting for breath and gulping in as much needed air as possible. Looking back on it, maybe she shouldn't have used that giant lightening attack. It drains her on a good day, and now it depletes her of just about everything else except the base energy needed to live. If her exhaustion before is hard to stomach, what she feels now is simply indescribable. "Still… serves you right!"

"Oh dear! B-brother!!" The little girl's voice attracts Larxene's attention as she watches her runs into the smoking wreck. The Savage Nymph would feel bad for exposing her to a burned corpse of her brother, but it's too bad she doesn't feel, and she is too tired to even try to imitate that feeling. As such, the Twelve puts the thought of the girl out of her mind and tries to get back on her feet. Well, she tries, and she tries really, really hard too. But after running so much having just become alive once more in this new (is it new? It felt like her old body, but it feels new too…) body, she feels her legs protesting and aching and sore. Her hands are sore too, especially the one that punched that crater in the floor. How did she do that in the first place? Well, she'll just chuck it up to feminine rage and pent up frustration and everything that simply comes back and bite her. Still, the rage, the anger, everything… it felt real…

"MEEP?!"

Ah… that must be the squeal of the girl finding the corpse.

"I-Itai… That… really… really… hurt…"

Huh?

"S-Shitty human, you didn't have to take the attack you know. It's not like I'm grateful or anything, but…"

"Shut up you damn doll. I'm just who I am… still, it hurts…"

What? He isn't dead…?

"B-brother! Your body!!"

"Yeah… it should be gone by tomorrow… Do you have any potions…? Ooh, there we go. Taste like fuck though."

"B-brother! Even if you're injured, please do mind y-your language!"

He really… isn't dead? Shouldn't he be dead? Even the Keyblade Master can't survive that! There is no way he can't be dead! She can hurt Xemnas badly with that!

"Well… I truly wish you're finished. Because any more and I'm really going to kick the bucket." As the smoke clears, Larxene hears the young man says in aggravation and sees that while there are burns here and there, most of him is relatively fine… He can't be fine… there is no way… "If it makes you feel any better, most of this is natural resistance. I had enough lightening in my life to not feel as hurt by it."

Seeing that the blonde is fine and not dead, and that he can easily survive her strongest attack, Larxene gasps in shock as she openly stares. It didn't register in her mind that he has long since walked in front of her. It didn't compute that her Dancers never once move forward to help her. It never even touches her mind that at this very moment, the man can chop off her neck with one swing of his Keyblade without her putting up much of a fight.

It simply doesn't make sense…

As such, Larxene simply lets her eyes roll into the back of her head and drops into a dead faint, her exhaustion and mental overload finally taking their toll.

Some times later, when Larxene shots awake in a bed that is not hers, she quickly look around to find herself in a room relatively deprived of anything save for two Dancer Nobodies. The fact that she is alive proves that it is not a dream, because she can remember very clearly, down to the very last nano second, of the day she ceased to exist thanks to Sora. She can still remember the pain the Keyblade causes as it makes its way across her body. She can easily recall the burning sensation it causes. So if she's not dead, and she's not feeling any more of those burning sensation in any of her body even though it's sore as hell…

Looking down, the Savage Nymph blinks at the tube top she sees on her. Curious, she throws the cover aside to see that yes, she is wearing one of her skirt. It must be the Dancers… Then the memories of her moment of revival crashes into her like a Gummy Ship crash landing right on top of her. Eyes widening to almost impossible proportion, she quickly jumps out of bed, grab the coat that is discarded on a chair nearby, and rushes out the room with the Dancers close on her trail. Looking around, she quickly pinpoints her location in Castle Oblivion and hurry up to the place the resurrection took place. She is just about to reach it when one of the Dancers grabs her arm and pulls her in another direction… towards the kitchen?

Her mind wonders as she lets herself be pulled toward the castle's kitchen, or at least one of the few scattered in it. Larxene still finds it hard to believe that she is alive… well, not really the fact that she lives once more as you can't really destroy what isn't there in the first place. What she finds surprising is she is still alive after coming into a confrontation with a Keyblade Wielder almost immediately, near death exhausted, and from what she can remember, a much more skilled combatant than that brat Sora. He is clumsy with the weapon, but his movement and grace easily tips her off to the fact that he is trained, and very much so. Then there is that girl… so seems so familiar… What did he call her again? Alice? As in… Alice the Princess of Heart from Wonderland? What is she doing here? Better yet, why is she out of the safety of her own world? Larxene can't forget about the talking doll too. She can't tell if the doll is simply a child or come magical creature… actually, she's sure that it's a doll, because she can clearly see the neck joint for the few moments that it is exposed in all the movement.

So many things are running around in Larxene's head that she never notice when they arrived at the kitchen. She only notice when the Dancer forcefully shoves her into the room. What she comes to is a rather… strange sight.

It isn't every day you see the kitchen occupied by several Dancers, a Keyblade Wielder, a Princess of Heart, and a talking doll, all working harmoniously on something… or as harmonious as it gets anyway.

"You shitty doll, I don't see you helping out!" The wielder shouts in annoyance as he dices up several vegetables while reaching for more. His cerulean blue eyes are currently glaring at the doll floating above his head.

Said doll has this really smug smile on her face and amusement clearly in her purple eyes. She grins and says, "Well, you can't expect a lady such as me to do chores only fitting for the commoners."

"Shit. Not only do you eat a lot, but you're also lazy. It's a wonder you don't get fat!" The man shouts as he skillfully dices up more vegetable without even looking down. How he does it without losing a finger is simply amazing.

"As you can see, I'm a doll. What I look like is pretty much fixed. So too bad for you, the comments about my size simply don't affect me."

"Then I'll just call you an old lady!"

"D-Don't you dare!"

"Please brother, do not start another argument. Oh, please what that soup for me!" The Princess of Heart says, catching Larxene's attention and further surprise. The Princess is cooking… and while it's not hard to believe, it is the fact that it's a little thirteen years old girl that's directing her Dancers what to do in the kitchen that really floored her. That's also when the Nymph remembers that the blonde man is supposed to be burned… Turning back to him, Larxene's eyes got even wider as she sees not one scratch on him.

Not a single scratch…

"Oh dear! You're awake. Come, come. Sit and lunch will be ready soon!" Larxene hears before she finds herself being pulled to a table with already several dishes set on it. There are roasted meat, boiled vegetables, salted and grilled fish, eggs boiled and then mixed with what looks like tofu and avocados, and several more. This is also when she notices that she is rather starved… "Do be a little patient please. I prefer it if everyone eats at the same time. I know you're hungry, being out like that for two days tend to do that to anyone. But do have some patience." The Twelve turns her head to the source of the voice to finds a grinning Alice with her hands folded behind her. Larxene can only blinks before giving a nod. "Oh, and I see you're wearing brother's coat. It is rather cozy isn't it?" The girl laughs in delight before quickly going to oversee some more preparation, leaving Larxene behind to try and sort through all of this…

She is not having much success.

"…I think this is going to be very strange…" The first female member of the Organization says to herself as she sits back in her chair while gently play with the hen of the coat. It is, as Alice says rather mirthfully, very cozy. No wonder when she first put it on, it felt rather large.

_Oh dear lady, do enjoy yourself. They are proving to be more than they seemed… especially the man. He is rather special._ The Nobody that pushes her through the door says as she appears by her side once more. Looking over, Larxene observes how her grin is larger than normal before shaking her head and sighs in exasperation. It would appear that she is once more in something that is larger than life itself…

Would this be the redemption the voice told her? If it is, it doesn't look so bad…

XXXXXXXXXX

In his castle, Yen Sid is currently making as much notes as he can over the observation he made as well as all the experiments he tested through the help of Alice on the Corridor of Light. It is such a fascinating thing, just like the Corridor of Darkness. They both exhibit the same properties even though they couldn't be any more opposite. Both allow traveling from one world to another, and if done correctly, it seems that they can also allow the travel through time! There is one case of which Jiminy the Cricket manage to document. That one time when Merlin sends Sora and his companions through the door under Disney Castle is all the proof Yen Sid needs to know that the Corridors can bend times. Though the old sorcerer suspects that Merlin didn't even know what he accomplished.

However, that also presents a problem. It is the fact that if someone such as Maleficent discovers a way to use the Corridors to travel back in time, the war between Light and Darkness will never be the same… Actually, there never was a war to begin with, just several upstarts from both sides that decides to make something out of it. Light cannot exist without Darkness, for where there is light, there is shadow. It is utterly foolish for people to believe that Darkness can be vanquished.

It is, to Yen Sid's very best understanding, all about Good and Evil. The concept of evil is very narrow; however, Evil –with a capital E- is exactly what it describes. There will be those who, for some reason completely unknown and most likely will remain ambiguous, are born Evil. The opposite is also true with Good, for there will be those who are born Good. Sora and Naruto are cases of which people are born of Good. As for Evil, there is that one guy, Seymond… Seemand… whatever his name is it, ah Seymour. Seymour Guado, who represents the Light, is one who is born on the side of Evil. It is a strange concept yes? But it cannot be any further from the truth. Light or Darkness, Good and Evil exist in both side. Holy does not mean virtuous and Demonic does not mean damning. Although that does remind Yen Sid, where did that Priest went?

Either way, he is getting off topic. The Corridors of Light and Darkness are such interesting things that Yen Sid finds himself obsessed. To have him obsessed is something that rarely happens! In fact, the last time he remembers himself to be this obsessed is with his study of Magic. He shudders yet couldn't help but be excited to start on the energy known as Chakra, for Magic, no matter what names you give it –Mana, Life Stream, Soul Power, etc.- is still magic.

Ah, there he goes again, his mind wondering. Maybe old age has finally caught up to him?

_They are coming back…_

Yen Sid blinks before looking up to the lone Dancer that stands in front of his desk. That is another thing that puzzles him, for all the Dancers that once inhibits his castle are all but gone, leaving behind this single one. Maybe it's to keep an old man company, or maybe it's to help around the place as Magic cannot be used for everything. Whatever the reason, Yen Sid finds it curious and just a little unnerving for such a thing to happen. Still… "Who are they?"

_The Fourteen…_ The Dancer whispers in an excited tone as it starts to dance around in circles. The old master of the castle once again finds this curious and rather interesting, as the Dancer expressed such vivid imitation of emotion. _They are back once more! The masters and mistresses are going to be amongst the living once more! We shall once more search for that which we lack!_

"So the Organization is coming back… and they are going to plan another Kingdom Hearts?" Yen Sid questions while stroking his bear. If that is true, this is unsettling news… Yet why tell him, who is on the opposite side?

_Oh no! No more Fake Kingdom Hearts! No more Kingdom Hearts! Hearts are mysterious, and we cannot force it for we do not fully understand it even though we search it! Oh no, we learned!_ The Nobody says as she glides behind Yen Sid's chair and leans around it. _Oh no! Now we search through the Jailor! Yes, he shall help us! Along with the King!_

"Mickey?"

_No. Not the Knight of Light. The King! The King shall return what rightly fully belongs! And the Jailor will ensure that he does and not stray! The Knight of Light and Darkness will protect the King! But it is the King who shall protect the Jailor as the Jailor protects the Knights!_ The Dancer says as she once more starts to dance in circle. Yen Sid wonders what of the Princesses. He can easily refer to who is who that the Nobody speaks of (even though he has no idea why or how she knows such thing or if it is just random babbling or accurate prophecy), but what of the Princesses? _They shall all guard the Princesses, as does the Princesses guard them! Together, they shall oversee the land and pass on the mental when it once more faces dangers!_

Now this, in all of Yen Sid's life, he did not expect. Though that does bring about the question as to how did the Organization… Is it that bottle? The Power-That-Be instructed its construction, and Yen Sid did so never knowing the purpose. Now he has a suspicion, and if his suspicion proves to be correct…

The old sorcerer chuckles in amusement at the chaos that is to ensure. Oh, he has no desire to let the Universe falls into complete Chaos, but he has no desire to bring about complete Order, but he will enjoy messing with the youngsters' head when they come seeking once more. (5)

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AN: Well… that's another chapter. I like this one actually, even though it felt as it I didn't do much about it. It flows after a few twigs here and some twist there (and some poke there, some stab here, some threats here and there, and some death threats there and here).

Anyway, for those that didn't guess Naruto and Alice are in Castle Oblivion, I hope this chapter finally disclosed it to you even though I never officially named where they went. However, if you still didn't know until you read this particular part of the Author Note, I imply you to bang your head on some hard surface for this. It's rather obvious isn't it? I said that it is (in not as accurate as the words), "A huge castle and impossibly white with occasional Heartless…" What else do you want from me?! It is kind of sad that only one person even mentioned the name (you know who you are).

1) Folks, don't try this type of insulting at home… actually, don't even attempt it at all!

2) I don't remember exactly when the dolls were made, but I do believe it's somewhere in the 1800s.

3) Suigintou is, debatably the strongest doll in the seven, not only because a) she fights without a medium to an extent that the other dolls are forced to rely on Jun, b) her ability is greatly magnified with a medium, even when said medium isn't exactly at her prime condition, but also because c) she's incomplete (she is missing her waist remember?). If Suigintou is whole, willingly bond with a medium and work with him or her, then she can probably dominate the battle field assuming of course the other six doesn't gang up on her. The next most powerful is either Shinku or the seventh or the third, but then again, I'm not going to bother with this at the moment, haha.

4) For those familiar with Rozen Maiden, you would know that Suigintou actually died three times, once by self destruction due to her rage, once by Bara Shishou, and I think once due to Kira Shishou… I'm not certain about her third destruction, but I know for a fact she died thrice. Don't worry though; they say third time's the charm, so she won't die a fourth time… most likely…

5) I'm not sure why I do this… but it does help me come up with several ideas. I have many ideas I want to do with the Jailor, and this just helps me out with what I intended to do. There will be many twists and surprises (at least I hope they are surprises) in the future, and as you can already see, not all is as it seems. As to Yen Sid messing with people's head… let's just chuck that up to the eccentricity of old age and the amusement of an old man, 'kay?

The continuous issue of grammar and spellings, I tried to catch them all (no, not pokemon!!!). There are bond to be some I glossed over though, so once more I apologize if something stands up too much and it bugs you.

**Very important: **As to my writing style… well, most likely I will never change it. I like writing in present tense, it gave me more freedom (to me at least) with how I do things. It also seems to be easier for me on grammar related issues. If, by some strange turn of event the public demands it, I shall try and give it a shot and write in past tense. I can't guarantee anything though haha. Just because 99% of the stories here are written in past tense doesn't mean I have to follow the trend yeah? There is also the fact that I write in present without me even noticing it… so… tough luck trying to convince me hahahahahaha!!!

Well, that's about all I can think of. I'll stop ranting on and on and let you get on with your business. Remember to HAVE FUN!!! (^.^)


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot. That said and done, you can't sue me!!

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**In the immediate future… (PS… this is not an advertisement, but rather just for fun)**

"Mi~na~to~kun!!! YOU ASSHOLE!!"

"Wha-?" **THUD! **A box of Band-aid for small cuts on the face… 15 munny.

**DOO-DOOCRASH! **A replacement for the broken fence… depending on the wood quality and the amount of nails needed, 100 munny and up.

**BAM!! **A new dumpster as well as fixing the imprint of a person on the wall… somewhere around 300 munny and up.

"O-ONII-CHAN?!"

"Oh dear… this can't be good…"

"Wow… nice kick… it take baka ningen down in one hit."

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO… Wait… you're not Minato…"

Just getting kicked by a person you never know for some reason that doesn't concern you…

Priceless…

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**The day after Larxene wakes up…**

Larxene finds the man that calls himself Uzumaki Naruto to be very interesting.

To put it in a simple way, he is an enigma that refused to be solved. Just when she thinks she has a grasp of what he is like, he'll do something completely unexpected and thus throwing all that she speculated before out of the window.

She speculated that he is hyper active and wears his heart on his sleeves so to say. But Naruto is as closed up as anyone can be while at the same time being so easy to read.

She speculated that he is nothing but a novice fighter that gained most of his skills from the use of the Keyblade just as that brat Sora did. But the grace and procession at which he moves completely off set that thought while at the same time just prove how dangerous he can be.

She speculated that he is just a pretty face, but underneath it all, it's as black as one can be because of his charming ways and that seemly innocent behavior. But he turns out to be truly kind and so full of chivalry that Larxene wonders if he isn't some noble or prince that was unfortunately enough to be send off on this crazy adventure.

She speculated that he is a brat who was forced on this adventure just as Sora did his and that he has a loving family at home and somehow he managed to drag his sister, who happens to be a Princess of Hearts, into it. But it turns out that the two aren't even related, and while he was forced on this crazy adventure as he off-handedly commented to her, but that it was the girl who FORCED herself upon him on this crazy adventure.

That, and during that little strange exchange, Larxene gets one discovery that she finds herself somehow sympathizing.

He is full of pain.

The pain of betrayal.

The pain of lost.

The pain of loneliness.

The pain of guilt.

The pain of insecurity.

He is so full of pain that Larxene wonders to herself how come he isn't somewhere in a mental ward already. So much pain, yet he has yet to broke.

Once more, Larxene wonders to herself just who is Uzumaki Naruto. Is he some avatar of some God or something greater? Or is he some extraordinary being confined into the body of a mortal?

…Is he just some stupid orphan that has the devil's luck and managed to survive on nothing but something so 'nutritious' like ramen for most of his life?

Whatever he is, Larxene can safely concludes that Uzumaki Naruto is not someone you want to get involved unless you truly wish to be stuck with him for life. It is just this… intuition you can say, that now that she meet him and traded some blows with him (or more like trying to kill him…), she will never get rid of him. Sure he will be gone now and then, but the Savage Nymph has this nagging in the back of her head that he will never leave her life completely.

Oddly enough, Larxene finds that she doesn't mind even though there is no Heart to tell her why that is.

Still, coming back to the present, Larxene yawns a bit as she gets up from her lying position on the large sofa located within the library located somewhere within the castle. Stretching to get some of the kinks out of her body, the woman looks around while questioning herself just what she should do. Her time in the Organization past like a blur because they were constantly kept busy, be it with small errands like buying the groceries to large missions like destroying certain powerful Heartless.

So now that Xemnas isn't around to hound their asses to work, Larxene finds herself filled with this… lethargic energy. Quite the contradiction, yet at the same time, it is rather fitting. She felt restless, yet she doesn't know what to spend her energy on. Not even finding her missing Heart seems to motivate her to move simply because… well, she doesn't know why. It just doesn't seem as… important now for some bizarre reason. The Savage Nymph wants to put the blame on the fact that she died once, and the trauma of it left her rooted and has installed some instinctive fear in her. But a small and simply meditation session and self exploring prove that to be wrong as she is still as fearless, as cruel, and as sadistic as the day she died.

So what is keeping her here at Castle Oblivion when she could have left the moment she wakes up?

A small sound catches her attention, and the woman immediately turns her attention to the cloth she is wearing. Let's see, tube-top that allows easy movement and maximized comfort, check. A short skirt with small slits on both side to allow movement, check. The overly large coat that she refuses to return and is now using as she would use her Organization coat…

Oh, maybe she might know the answer as to why.

Black overall, the coat has flame designs lining the hems of it. It is light yet thick enough that it provides protection against the elements be it the heat or the cold. Various contraptions within it can be used to hold many little things ranging from potions to small weapons. The sleeves and the coat is obviously too long for her, hiding her hands while the edge of the coat almost dragging on the ground, but otherwise it is very comfortable. She also likes the emblem on the back too; it's majestic yet not overly flashy.

It feels really good on her for some strange reason, and so far, Larxene does not plan to return it to its rightful owner any time soon.

With a shrug, the woman walks out of the room that she has barred herself in just to get some time of peace as to reflect upon what she will do from now on. Having come to some conclusion, the woman puts on a smirk and waltz out of the room with cat like grace.

It is time to give them a tour of Castle Oblivion.

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Having tried several times in private, Alice has already come to the conclusion that something is blocking her ability to summon a door leading into the Corridors of Light. It is not that she can't summon them… just that they are, simply put, unstable. The first door she summoned is sort of twisted and cracked, as if it'll crumble at a moment's notice. She did it as a way to get a quick mid-night snack, and in return, she found out that for some reason, the Corridors of Light cannot be used.

After all, when you want to go to the kitchen only to end up outside of the castle, you know something is not right.

So after somehow sending Naruto to explore more thoroughly the top most floor of the castle, Alice started to experiment. First it was to see just how accurate she can get with the doors, only to be sent to places she didn't even know exist in the castle. As such, the girl decided that for her own personally safety, it is best not to try world hopping with the Corridors in such condition.

So now the only problem that she faces is how are they going to get off this world?

This is how Naruto finds his surrogate sister; sat on an over stuffed chair in one of the room they found with a contemplating look on her face as she continuously taps her left cheek with a finger. Blinking, the older blonde walks over to the girl and then kneels down in front of her. Seeing that he's not getting her attention either as her eyes are unfocused, Naruto decides to give her a little poke to gain her attention.

…Well, he uses the word poke very lightly, and it's really more of a flick to the forehead than a poke…

"Ow! Brother, what was that for?"

Naruto smiles a little at the glare Alice sends at him while rubbing her forehead. The supposedly intimidating effect is ruined by the fact that Alice has a pout on her face. He knows it, she knows it, and pretty much everyone that sees it can come to that conclusion very easily. Deciding to let the action lie, Alice stands up from her sits and stretches, "So… how was it?"

"Still too white for my taste…"

"Brother…"

Naruto chuckles at that before his face turns serious. Seeing this, Alice blinks in wonder and confusion as to why her surrogate brother would make such a face. She would later learn that this is what he calls his "reporting face" or "business face" and that it's a habit pounded into him… almost literally. "Well, it's as expected for a castle: large and spacious. Not a lot of places for traps though from what I can see, because everything is much too wide and the corridors are too smooth to have any indication of traps. The rooms are still pretty much the same. Some holds little knick-knack. Some holds absolutely nothing but layers of dust, and some are rooms with beds in them. There is what appeared to be a living room though I cannot be sure…" Naruto pauses as he strokes his chin as if contemplating something and then continues, "Other than the occasional Heartless, there really isn't much on that floor… Although there is this room that looks like it was used for some rather big battle… Oh well, that's pretty much all there is."

Alice sighs at the fact that there is nothing interesting to note of in this castle any further. So other than the basement levels, there no longer is a reason to stay here. Of course, there is still the question of how are they going to get off of this world? "Well, seeing that there really isn't any more reason to stay here, I believe it is time to go… Although there is a small problem…" Alice nervously says as Naruto opens his mouth to asks, what she believes, to be the reason behind them not leaving sooner. "The doors are unstable…"

"Huh?" That is the intelligent response of one Uzumaki Naruto.

Tilting her head, Alice tries to come up with a way to explain the situation without resulting to summoning one as a demonstration. She never knows if it'll decide to blow up on them. Still after several seconds of rapid thought process, Alice comes up with nothing that can be a suitable alternative. Thus with a resigning sigh, Alice lightly stomps her foot, and a rather… crude looking door crumbles into existence next to her. Seeing this, Naruto's eyes momentary widens, and Alice knows immediately that no more words are needed.

After observing the gate seemly twists and moans, Naruto turns to Alice with an eye brow raised and asks, "So… what should we do now?"

"Oh my… what is this thing?" A familiar voice that grates on Naruto's nerve drift into the room as Suigintou floats over to inspects the gate. Where the doll disappeared to a while ago, none of the two occupants of the room can say. Either way, Suigintou inspects the gate with curiosity as she continues to hover around it in circle. At this moment, Alice can't help but notice the way the doll's amethyst eyes lit up in excitement as she poke and probe the mutated door in wonder. The Princess of Hearts wonder if under all that mannerism that is Suigintou lays a sweet girl. "So what is this?" The Rozen Maiden asks as she flies over to the duo and seems to bob in the air in excitement. It somehow incites a small smile on Alice's face while Naruto just scrawl at the doll. "This is most peculiar. Do tell, please do tell."

Seeing the vast interest as well as curiosity practically oozing form Suigintou, Alice giggles a bit then starts, "That is what we used to travel before coming here through another method. It's a Corridor of Light… Although the one you see before you is rather unstable. It never did that before."

"Ooh, inter-dimensional traveling, and tricky thing they are." Suigintou says as she then flies over to the door once more and gives it a pat or two. "Judging by the appearance, something is interfering with it either energy wise or magically wise. I would say it is most likely energy wise seeing that it functions, just very… let's say bumpy, am I right?"

"Err… it's more inter-world travel really. And it's not bumpy, more like not accurate at all." Alice says after a moment of awkwardness. After she finishes her sentence, she has Suigintou practically in her face with shiny eyes and sparkles all around her. "Y-yes?"

"Inter-world traveling? Ooh, you have got to show me. This is such a fascinating thing. It doesn't appear so different from the N Field, but N Field only seems to connect dimensions instead…" Suigintou trails off as she moles over what she just said, and after nodding to herself a little, she says, "In fact, I personally do not know how the N Field reacts, just that I can use it to get around a world. Actually, from what I can gather, there are multiple worlds?"

"That would be correct, yes…" Alice answers the doll's question, and seeing the somewhat satisfied smile on her face, the Princess of Hearts wonder just what is it that got her so… what is the word? Oh yes, contented. "…You tried to leave?"

"Yes, and obviously I failed since I'm still here." Suigintou answers with an annoyed tone before she perches herself onto Naruto's head, much to his annoyance. "It seems that there are no mirrors in this place that I can use to get around."

"Wait, mirror?" Naruto asks, butting in for the first time in the conversation as it mostly went over his head. You can't expect him to understand after all when the only dimensional travel he experienced is Summoning and Reverse Summoning. Even then, he still does not truly understand the foundation behind it all or the theory as to how and why. He studied seals, but never to the point of playing with dimension, let along time… Still, "You can use mirrors to travel?"

"…Well, I can. I can't bring people with me unless I have a medium…" Suigintou says but then trail off towards the end. Here, Alice can easily see that for one reason or another, she has clamp herself shut, and they won't be getting much from her any more. Naruto seems to see this too, as judging by the fact that he leaned back slightly before sighing in exasperation.

Alice does wonder just what is it that makes Suigintou act that way. So far, she has being pretty open and seems to love causing plenty of mischief on other people's head if the arguments between her and Naruto is anything to go by.

In fact, she remembers something the doll said not so long ago…

"_You know, sometimes you have to take the initiative." Suigintou says from Alice's arms (after she taught her how to properly hold a doll that is) while turning up to make eye contact. "It is usually better to make your intention clear before any misunderstanding can come to light."_

"_Hmm? Why do you say that?" Alice asks as she walks down the familiar path way to the kitchen to start dinner. Despite the fact that she is asking that, half of her mind is wondering what to make for dinner. She made stir fried yesterday, and they had omelets for lunch, so…_

_A slight tapping on her arm brings Alice back to Suigintou. "Hey, pay attention. This might just save you from some broken heart in the future… The world is not as bright or beautiful as you think it is…" Suigintou says with a small grin that looks somewhat teasing and half amused. "Besides, you're a sweet girl from what I can gather. It'll be a waste if someone changed that Heart of yours…"_

_Blinking at that, Alice couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy by the way Suigintou continues to maintain eye contact with her._

_Those eyes look really troubled. They look even more frightening with the grin that is currently on Suigintou's face…_

_Did someone changed her Heart?_

"Ara? You're all here. That's good."

Alice mentally breath a sigh of relief as she watches Larxene makes her way over to them (and she giggles to herself at the fact that she is still wearing Naruto's coat, and said blonde isn't exactly thrilled at that). During all this, Alice absentmindedly noted that the Twelve has her hair in a pony tail; she thinks it suits her well. "Ms. Larxene. How may we be of service?"

"Mm? No service. You three though, are going to follow me. I believe it is time to give you a proper tour of the Castle Oblivion." Larxene says with a waving motion before doing a grand bow. All the while, her lips turn into a smirk as she looks up with half lid eyes. "It would be a shame to not see everything this creation of Darkness has to offer."

Straightening up, Larxene turns around and starts to walk away. Alice and Naruto turns to look at each other, silently questioning what to do next. Seeing no harm to it, Naruto shrugs, and Alice lightly smiles before bouncing away after the Higher Nobody. Curious, Suigintou lifts off of Naruto's head and also quickly catches up to the two before settling herself into the crock of Alice's arms.

They never see the way Naruto's eyes linger upon the doll, or the sad smile that graces his face.

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Having a guide is, Alice decides, a very different experience than simply just exploring by themselves.

While the places they visit are the same, now they gain some background information behind it all. For example now they know who once occupied which room, which one was used most and which one the least, which ones are left alone simply because it is not practical, which ones were planned to be used as storage when the need arise.

There are so many things that they simply do not know before.

It also comes as a surprise that this castle was once only operated by six people, including the woman that is leading them through it in an eye-opening tour. And to think, all of that information, and they barely got past a floor.

Although come to think of it, why did they start the tour from the top?

"The top floor has a very special room that allows us to run the castle as efficiently as we can." Larxene says as she turns a corner, leading them down a corridor that Naruto had once deemed to be nothing but a dead end. However, it appears there is more to it than that. "Of course, it is also the floor that we once kept a certain little girl before she… falls out with us. I personally do not find it tragic, nor do I really care either."

"Is that who the little doll represent?" Alice asks as she remembers the doll of a blonde girl sitting in what seems to be a cage in a particular room they found. It seems to below to the same person that owned the only undamaged room in the Twilight Mansion, because like that room, there are lots of picture scattered within it. It is simple, like the rest of the castle, white and spotless (except for the scattered pictures). There is a small bed, a small closet as well as a short table and a simple stool. Then there is the 'cage' in which the doll is placed. Otherwise, it is completely bare of anything else. Judging by the way Larxene words her sentence and the place of the doll, Alice finds herself rather uncomfortable with the thoughts that invade her mind. "You know… the little doll that is sitting in a modified bird cage…"

"Ah yes… that…" Larxene says cheerfully, never once bothering to turn around, making Alice cringe at the fact that she doesn't even seem bothered by it… But then again, Alice can't somewhat understand that she doesn't have a heart to feel emotions like guilt and remorse…

'Not yet…' The little girl promises herself as her eyes harden in determination. For some reason, it is such a sad thing not to be able to feel emotions…

"And here we are." The Nobody exclaims, stopping in front of the 'dead end' that Naruto found. Humming, Larxene ponders to herself, "Now just where is… Ah, I remember now. It's right… here!" At the last triumphant note, the woman pushes inward a section of the wall. Standing back, she crosses her arms and smirk as the pushed in section sinks even further in before the wall light up and then divides into two. Alice gasps in wonder while Naruto 'ooh'-ed in a realization tone and then curses under his breath for not noticing it sooner. Suigintou watches on with a blank expression except for that small smile upon her face. Other wise, there is no other expression upon the Rozen Maiden. When the wall finishes parting, Larxene strolls forward, and the other three (two really since Suigintou is in Alice's arms) follows in to find… a surveillance room? "Welcome to the room that keeps track of just about everything in the castle!"

Sure enough, the room is rather simple, composed of only the large monitoring system on the opposite wall as well as some chairs. The other walls are bared of anything except wires coming and going. Like the other places within the castle, there is a light source that shines upon the room, yet no trace of a light bulb in sight. It still makes Alice wonder just how this light works since it'll dim down if the people within the room wishes it to, but other wise, it'll be one 24/7. She will admit though, that for a castle made of Darkness, it's pretty well lit.

Blinking out of her musing, Alice looks up to see Larxene fiddling with the monitoring system while nothing but statics show upon the many screens that are connected to the machine. During this time, Naruto has walked over and starts to study it with closer details, seemingly trying to decipher which control does what. Suigintou has surprisingly stayed silent through out all this with that same smile upon her face. Alice hopes that the talk before when she mentioned medium didn't bring up something painful.

The sound of flesh connecting with metal alerts Alice to the fact that Larxene has just punched the machine in what seems like frustration. Sighing, the woman stands up straight and scrawl at the fact that nothing she did to it seems to be working. "It seems Axel really did a number on it… Wonder what he did to make it unresponsive." Waving in a dismissive fashion, Larxene turns upon the blonde shinobi and smiles, "Stop trying to make it work. I already tried and nothing seems to respond."

"Mm… do you have someway of fixing it? I find this thing very interesting and if my hunches are correct, really useful." Naruto asks as he rubs the back of his neck with a frown on his face. If she knows him as well as she thinks she does, Alice will take a guess and say that he wants to use it to find out everything about the castle, both inside and out. "Well. Since there isn't much we can do here, let's move on shall we?"

Larxene shrugs before she leads the party out, not even bothering to shut the 'door.' But Alice quickly learns why as it simply closes itself automatically and become once more nothing but a dead end. The Princess blinks at that, shrugs, before quickly running to catch up to the tour.

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"So… you guys fiddled with Sora's memories?" Alice asks in more of a squeak than her normal voice, clutching Suigintou a little tighter than she intended. The doll makes a sort of discomforting sound, but other wise make no movement to leave her current position. "B-but… isn't that bad?"

"In all terms, be it technicality or morally, it is not a good thing to do." It is Naruto who answers the question seeing as Larxene has no intention of answering it if her cheerful smile is any indications. Frowning once more, the only blonde male plows on, "There must be a reason why such method is applied."

The Nobody of the group hums in thought and then turns her head slightly so that she can stare at them out of the corner of her eyes. "Why yes, we do have a reason behind doing so seeing as it is such a fascinating thing, the Key bearer's Heart that is. Well, it is interesting to our boss and leader, since I personally find it rather dull and just like any other Heart." Larxene explains before shrugging. "It hardly matters now though. We never get what we wanted because the data were probably erased by Naminé or stolen by Ansem. Whichever the case, what happened to them, I never get the chance to find out."

Alice wonders just who Naminé or this Ansem person is thought they seemed to be very important people with some major role to play in their life. Still, back to messing with Sora… "B-but isn't that cruel? Tearing apart someone's memories and then making false ones to replace them seems…"

"Inhuman? Monstrous?" Larxene supplies, and Alice shrinks back at the continuous cheerful tone of the Nobody. "It would be if we care, but we simply lack the capacity to do so and the desire to do so. What we want at that particular moment is to find a way to either get our Hearts back or to create a replacement. Of course, we failed in both regard I think, seeing I have no idea where my fellow comrades are. Did they die?"

Alice shuffles on her feet a little as she lowers her head and peers through her bangs and says with remorse, "…Well, Master Yen Sid said that most of them did…"

"Well then, that's just too bad; although I am curious by what you mean on the 'most of them' part."

Alice winces once more on the cheerful tone and the casual dismissal of the news from Larxene. She mentally adds that upon the list of growing reasons upon why she should quickly help her regain her Heart. To dismiss other lives so casually should be a sin.

"There is this… Roxas?" Naruto asks, and seeing the nod from Larxene, he continues, "Yeah, Roxas. Master Yen Sid said that he merged with his original self. In some sense, I think that means he did died, but not really."

"Ah, so Roxy did return to his Somebody in the end. I know the kid doesn't have it in him." Larxene once more dismisses the fate of her fellow Nobodies while continuing down the corridor she has turned in. It is leading to the one room with the little doll of the girl in it. Opening the door, Larxene casually steps in, and to Alice's wonder and Naruto's curiosity, carefully avoid stepping on any of the picture. Stopping by the cage, Larxene reaching into it and picks up the little blonde doll and simple holds it, a blank expression on her face. After staring at it for what seems like minutes, the Savage Nymph puts it in one of the coat's inner pockets and then silently walks out of the room. She pauses at the door way, and while not turning around, explains, "This is Naminé's room. It is best if we do not disturb it until the owner either returns, or her Somebody comes." After that, Larxene walks out without mincing any more words.

It left Alice and Naruto clearly puzzled while Suigintou server the room in silence. When she is done, she simply says, "It is probably the best if we leave…"

That got Alice and Naruto moving, because it does seem that they are being disrespectful for staying in it for some long…

XXXXXXXXXX

"…And this would be the place that most of us use for relaxation." Larxene says as she leads them into a rather simple room with a three-sit couch, a large coffee table, and a simple book shelf. Again, it is as white as it can be, and the mysterious light source shines upon the room leaving little to no shadow. It makes Naruto seriously question the electricity bill for this place… if it ever get one. "Not much of a place, but for some reason almost all of us likes to come here from time to time."

True enough, it really isn't much of a place. But Alice can feel this homeliness coming from this simple room that is almost Spartan. The Princess of Hearts isn't sure if it's because of the way the limited amount of furniture are placed or the design of said pieces of furniture. She isn't sure if it is way it seems to isolate from the other rooms or the simple fact that unlike some of the room, it is bare and surprisingly easy on the eye for a room so bare.

Whatever the case is, Alice will admit that it is quite the place to simply relax and let all your trouble go for the moment. Judging by the way her surrogate brother smiles, he also thinks so too. As for Suigintou… she is still as blank as ever with that smile on her face. If it isn't because of the fact that she moves every once in a while to survey her surrounding, Alice would really think that she is holding nothing but a really well-made doll. Though now that she thinks about it… she is lighter than what Alice expected her to be. 'I wonder why…' The girl thought to herself as she peers questioningly at the doll's head of silver hair.

"Ara? My favorite book!" Larxene exclaims in imitated excitement as she skips forward to the couch and picks up a cook book and cuddle it to her face. "Ah~! How I miss thee! I haven't have the chance to finish it again."

Alice stares at the sight for a moment before bursting into giggles while Naruto just sweat drops at the rather random display of affection. He heard of book fanatics; after all, he personally knew a certain someone that is as crazy as they can be about a certain series of books from a certain person. (1) However, this is a bit much because even the Akamichis don't cuddle cook books… Food, yes, but not books.

So rather than deciding to interfere with this strange display of love, Naruto slowly inches out of the room, and when he is about out of the door…

"Brother dear, stay…"

…Damn.

"Good boy."

"…Whipped."

"Shut it you shitty doll."

"Make me!"

"Oh, I'll make you alright! **THUD! **OW! A-Alice?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"…This would be the one room that you would want to stay away from if the owner is still alive and kicking." Larxene says as she waves at a door that, for one reason or another, ooze a certain aura that simply sets Naruto on edge. It screams of science.

He has bad experience with science…

Alice stares at the door with a critical eye while Suigintou tilts her head to the side, both wondering just what is so bad about the room that their tour guide decides to steer them away from it… Actually, now that she thinks about it, Alice never did find that door… "Brother, did you ever notice this door before?"

"Of course I… No wait, I didn't… how did that happen?" Naruto answers in confusion as he realize that yes, he never notice that door before either. Genjutsu? Some kind of technology that project holograms? No thorough enough in his exploration?

Now that is really disturbing… How did he miss this door?

His thought process is disrupted by Larxene as she exclaims happily, "Well, best get on with the tour. I really do not want to be here any more than you do."

Nodding in sync, the group quickly walks away, never noticing how the door silently open and a middle aged man with long blonde hair peers out in curiosity before smirking.

"Oho… so I'm not the only one…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"And here we are at the castle's library. Personally I find this place to be a waste of space, but Xemnas insisted that we built a library when we first fashion the castle." Larxene says as she open her arms in a gesture of grandeur for the massive library that is now behind her. It is the one place that Naruto forbid Alice from entering, not because of certain books he fears will be in here, but because should she ever find something she likes, he'll have to literally carry her out…

Kicking and screaming included.

Of course, judging by the way her eyes sparkle at the moment, he fears that he'll have to do just that to get on with the tour.

"…It seems you have to drag her, kicking and screaming, out of here stupid human."

"Damn it shitty doll… I know that…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"…You already been to the kitchen, so I'll ignore that at the moment. What you probably miss though is the walk in freezer we have. Though I don't think it's necessary to show you that." The Twelfth member says as she waves at the double door that leads to the kitchen Alice has pretty much taken as her domain. That also got her thinking, because it seems the two are looking for ways to get out of the dimension the castle is located in. That would means the superb cooking she have had for the past… day or so would disappear. Now that won't do… that won't do at all. "Anyway, the room you two (points at Naruto and Suigintou) trashed is the bedroom of the person who owned the room I told you to stay away. I would also suggest avoiding it as much as possible… although that does remind me of the case that's in there."

"Ah! My case!"

"You mean that box?"

"It's a CASE!! Say it with me stupid human, C-A-S-E!!!"

"You can't make me you shitty doll! **THUD!** OW!! A-Alice!?!?"

Larxene sighs and rolls her eyes at the display. If she could, she'll be feeling a headache from all the constant arguing the two seems to get into. It does answer the question about the black case though.

XXXXXXXXXX

It is decided unanimously that the castle is simply too large to explore it all in a single day, and maybe too large to do so in even a week. They have never once ventured into the basement levels, and so far, they have only gotten past two of the top most floors and just barely started on the next one. Castle Oblivion really is much bigger on the inside than it appeared to be on the outside.

What they did do is retrieve the case and then hole themselves into another room… Well, the two female species of the human race did while Naruto was, unceremoniously, kicked to a room adjacent to it. Despite that, the shinobi finds him not minding at all, because while sharing a room with Alice is fine and all as he thinks of her as the little sister he never had, Larxene is a completely different story. It also didn't help that he saw her completely naked. He, after all, is a very healthy example of the human male species.

And while he hates pervert with a passion, there is no denying that he doesn't find the sight unappreciated. Maybe when he was still that cute little genin back all those years ago, he'll shy away while screaming obscenity at her. But now? Psh. Do the words "very healthy" and "male" ring any bells?

That still doesn't explain why Suigintou decides to follow him instead of staying with the girls. "So just why are you here again you shitty doll?" Naruto asks the floating doll that is currently staying by the closed door, staring at him with a blank expression on her face. It annoys him that Suigintou just floats there, not bothering to explain anything or do anything else. She just floats there, staring at him with eyes that look so much like his.

"…" Ah, the silence treatment, or the cold shoulder. Whichever name you want to give it. It hardly matters, for Naruto is used to it. He has after all experienced it for at least half of his life if not longer; in great quantity too.

As such, Naruto shrugs off Suigintou's lack of reaction before he discards his muscle shirt, leaving him with only his pants and boots on. Holding it to his face, Naruto takes an experiment sniff to see if it stank. Smelling nothing, he smiles knowing that the self-cleaning charm from those three fairies is still in place. He never did ask if it is permanent or if it'll wear off with time, but it's better to just make sure it doesn't stank with sweat. Now if he can just regain his coat… Mm, just why is Larxene keeping his coat anyway? Doesn't she have her own? "I guess you're not going to talk then. Fine, I'll talk, because other wise, it's too quiet for my taste." Naruto says as he throws the shirt onto the nightstand before plotting himself onto the one bed that occupies the room. "As you can probably guess, I never had any ill intention towards you. I'm not sure about you, but I don't intent to do anything that might make you one of my enemies. I have enough as it is, and while I know there are rooms for much more, I don't want to make more than what I already have."

Still getting no answer, Naruto shrugs once more before putting his hands behind his head as a makeshift pillow and once more stares up to the ceiling. "Of course, who are my enemies at the moment, I am not sure. What I do know is that there are enemies out there such as the Heartless you probably ran across. Heck, maybe I'm my own enemy, because at this moment, I do not like what I am, and maybe even less on whom I am. What I am has caused me enough grief already, and at this moment, who I am might just mislead people." The shinobi chuckles listlessly and without any hint of mirth in his voice. Rather, it is devoid of all means of cheerfulness. "I wore a mask for a really long time you know? I am not as cheerful as I appear to be. I do not have the confidence other think I do. I do not have the courage that my friends thought I do. In fact, I would probably brand myself as a coward. Do you want to take a guess as to why?"

Once more getting no answer, Naruto shrugs again and continues. "I am a coward because I did what I did in fear of losing what I have. I am afraid that if I do not do something, I will lose everything that I worked so hard to gain. So I smiled; I laughed, and I do otherwise suicidal things so that I can keep what I gained. It is… painful that I cannot show people who I truly am. I am after all a coward."

Just then, Naruto feels a slight shift on the weight of the bed. Looking out of the corner of his right eye, Naruto inwardly smiles at the back that is now turned to him. She may not be responding to anything he said so far, but at least she did something. Although it got him wondering, just why is he saying all this to Suigintou, the doll who tried to kill him once not a week ago? Tossing that aside for the moment, Naruto takes his right hand and gently puts in on Suigintou's head. The doll tense for a moment before relaxing, and Naruto could swear she is leaning into his touch. Deciding to ignore that, the shinobi lightly mess with the doll's hair, all the while still thinking how amazingly made she is to have such realistic hair.

"Ugh…" Suigintou groans out and tries to duck her head out of Naruto's reach. Her effort proves to be futile, as not only does he have rather large hands, but also because she never moved from her spot sitting on the edge of the bed. His touch though brings back certain memories that she does not wish to relive… but cannot live without them. It brings back thoughts of the only person other than Shinku that she loved. "Stop it…" She groans out weakly, as if she just fought a tiring battle. Naruto's hand ceases moving at that before removing itself from her head.

That's when Suigintou did something that not only surprised Naruto, but also herself. She reaches up and quickly returns the hand to her head. At that action, if she is facing Naruto, he'll be treated to the sight that only a few have ever seen: Suigintou blushing in embarrassment. "W-who say you can remove your hand… b-baka ningen? I just ordered you to stop messing up my hair…"

Naruto chuckles at the way the doll reacts, and then seemingly shrinks further into herself while oozing mortification. It does his Heart some good to see the doll acting so differently from her usual tough and arrogant attitude. It reminds him of his so called brother in ways that it pinches at his old wounds. At least now, he can take comfort in the knowledge that she seems much easier to reach than Sasuke. "Whatever, kuso ningyou. Just don't bother me when I sleep."

"D-don't flatter yourself." Suigintou tries to snare out, only to stutter instead. That action only seems to cause even more embarrassment for the doll as she then tries to hide under Naruto's hand.

It causes him no small amount of amusement. It also eases him, for the moment, from the dark thoughts that plague his mind.

With that, he drifts off into one of those rare sleeps that is undisturbed by his nightmares.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Suigintou watches as Naruto and Alice converse with Larxene to try and figure out just why is it that their method of traveling doesn't seem to work. The blonde woman seems to be troubled by what the two said, but otherwise show no other imitation of emotions.

She wonders just what was it that possessed her to do what she did last night. It is embarrassing, and if she's harsh on herself, unacceptable. She let her guard down so easily and so fast that the doll is hard pressed to not think that he hypnotized her by some mean. Maybe it's his muscled chest or his well defined abs or his rather addicting musk or his charming smile or… NOOO!!! She will NOT go down that lane!!

Either way, for someone who claims himself to be a coward, he sure knows how to make people drop their guards around him. Heck, other than the Heartless (as she learned those black thing with yellow eyes or anything that has the black and red Heart emblem on them are called), there don't seem to be anyone that wants to attack him. She herself no longer wishes to attack him, and though the thought of making him her medium still… unsettles her, it no longer make her squirm at the thought of simply being with him.

Does he have this sort of affect on people, the ability to turn almost everyone into his friend?

Will this cause her even more betrayal? Just like her sisters did to her?

Quickly squashing that line of thought, Suigintou shakes her head to get rid of any lingering feeling over that before focusing herself onto the conversation. So far, they have decided that while the castle is made of Darkness, there shouldn't be anything in it that hinders the ability of the Light. One cannot exist without the other, and Naruto and Alice as well as Larxene quickly established that fact. Thus, the only other option between them is that someone is purposely interfering with Alice's ability to conjure a Corridor of Light. The only questions are why they do that, who are they, where to find them and how to stop them?

…Who would want to stop them?

"Hmm… we can always try to combine Darkness and Light and make a Corridor. However, that has never been done before, and I personally do not want to be the cause of my death if it does blow up in my face." Larxene says just as Suigintou position herself into Alice's arms. The Nobody is gently stroking her chin in thought as she wonder if she should just send them through a Corridor of Darkness. That probably isn't the best idea because there are things that even the Heartless fear inside those Corridors, and while she never encounter them herself, she is in no hurry to do so. Although what those things are, she has no idea herself either. (2) "I don't want to open a Corridor of Darkness simply because without Xemnas's ability to manipulate energy, we won't be able to conceal ourselves form certain things in Darkness." Although that does make Larxene wonders just how their 'fearless' leader does that over so many worlds at the same time for all their members. Does it have something to do with the cloak he wants them to wear?

"How are we going to combine the two Corridors though? While they coexist, it does not necessary mean they work will together." Naruto questions and Alice scratches her cheek in thought. Suigintou moles the idea over in her head and pulls out as much knowledge as she can over the ability to pull mediums over the N Field. Does it have something that can be used to work at this situation? After all, while she found the castle to be a rather nice place to be, it just simply doesn't cut it. She wants more; much, much more for this awakening… and so far, she is not getting it.

There is no way she'll let herself go back to sleep without at least experience something new that the world (or worlds as she recently come to think of) has to offer. It is just like how in the past, every time she wakes up, something new will be discovered. So far, the most enjoyable thing she discovered in her life is television.

Still, just as Suigintou is about to discard the idea of N Field all together, something strikes her, and a proverbial light bulb goes off at the top of her head. It sounds crazy, and probably is crazy too… but it might just work. "I am able to take people through the N Field simply by sharing my energy with them while they also share theirs… What if, and I know it sounds rather strange, but what if the two of you," here, Suigintou points to Larxene and Alice and then continues, "share your energy and tries to summon a door simultaneously?"

That effectively silences any further discussion as three pairs of eyes turn to stare at the floating doll. Suigintou can feel herself blushing at the attention before crossing her arms and turning to the side with a huff. "Well, it's just an idea. Besides, I don't see you all coming up with anything."

XXXXXXXXXX

That is perhaps the weirdest idea that ever crossed Larxene's mind… yet at the same time, it might just work. Although it's still amazing how it just skips over her head.

A moment of silence pass over the group once more before Alice and Larxene peer at each other, shrug, and then connect their hands. The two close their eyes as they try to get the feel of each other's energy as well as how it flow, and when they managed, starts to try and synchronize the two polar opposite. Well, not really polar opposite, just that Larxene has more Darkness than Light while Alice has nothing but Light, so while the woman tries to get a hold of Alice's Light while suppressing her own, the girl is trying to guide Larxene's Darkness while isolating her Light. Still with their eyes closed, the two start to guide each other's energy, and gradually, begins to try and assimilate it.

They are so taken by the task that none of the two are aware of how a gray aura now surrounds them, or how Naruto and Suigintou gape in awe.

Then, as if she entered one of her meditation state, Larxene feels herself becoming detached with reality, and Darkness surrounds her before in a flash of light, she is on the edge of a stain glass platform.

It startled her as much as one can startle a Nobody, because she does not remember ever opening her eyes.

"Oh dear… this is quite interesting." Alice's voice drifts to her, and Larxene turns to the direction to see the Princess of Hearts smiling at her with her hands folded behind her. She seems… what's the word? Unapproachable? "I wonder what we do now."

To that question, Larxene has no answer, because at this moment, she is rooted to the spot. She doesn't even find it within herself to inspect the stain glass platform to see just what it depicts. For some reason, she simply felt overwhelmed by the little Princess of Hearts in front of her. This simply doesn't make sense as in reality she can crush her so easily, but here? The Savage Nymph unconsciously gulps as she witness something within the girl that simply is dominating. Is that why she's at the edge while Alice is at the middle of the platform?

"Why are you afraid?" Alice suddenly asks as she walks toward the apparently paralyzed Nobody.

Somehow, during all this, Larxene manages to find her voice and says, "I do not fear…"

"Yet you hesitate to approach me." Alice immediately answers as she stops in front of the Nobody and looks up into her aqua eyes with her own shade of blue. "Why is that?"

"I felt… overwhelmed." Larxene whispers out the last part, just loud enough that Alice manages to just barely make it out. Tilting her head to the side, the Princess of Hearts wonder just what is it that overwhelms the woman in front of her. Seeing the confusion in Alice's eyes, Larxene decides to elaborate, only to suddenly find it rather strange too as to just why she felt so overwhelmed. "…I do not know why…"

"…Then it is best for you not to ever enter brother's Heart unless you are ready." Alice chirps happily after a moment of scrutinizing Larxene. "Still, do you trust me?"

"…" To say Larxene is even further taken back by this is an understatement. Blinking in rapid succession, the Savage Nymph opens and closes her mouth a few times before finally managing out an "I…"

"Do you trust me not to harm you without proper reason or justification? Do you trust me enough to place your life into my hand when the situation calls for it?" Alice asks as she smiles softly. Once more folding her hands behind her, the Princess of Hearts tilt her head just the slightly bit backward so she can maintain eye contact with Larxene. "After all, I trust you enough to let you into my Heart… So do you trust me enough to let me into your soul?"

Such strange question…

However, her gut instinct is telling her to say yes, because if she did, things will never be boring again. But there is something holding her back… Fear? But she does not fear…

"Yes… I trust you." Larxene suddenly blurs out, and blinks even more at the answer that simply just spills out of her. Alice on the other hand, just smiles before reaching forward and pulls the Nobody into a hug.

Several things happen at once in this time interval.

One, the glass platform shattered and reform into a completely blank one before a representation of her image forms on the center, depicting her lying down with her hands above her head and her legs slightly crossed while a mischievous smile adorn her face.

Two, a silver door appears directly above the two while emitting a great quantity of light, and then a keyhole appears on it before a giant pad lock appears with several meter of chain to chain the door shut.

Three, the overwhelming presence that Alice once give off vanished into thin air, and all that is left is this warmth that Larxene identify as happiness; an emotion that she has long forgotten but reminded in the back of her head. If she has her Heart, it would be leaping in joy.

Four, she wakes up into the real world just in time to see Alice smiling happily up at her before turning to the side. Imitating curiosity, Larxene turns to the side just in time to see Naruto thrust his Keyblade in between the two, right through the length of chain and pad lock and into the silver door's keyhole that she somehow managed to miss on their other side.

It clicks, and it opens.

It feels… different from the Corridor of Darkness, and judging by the small tilting of Alice's head, it must feel different from the Corridor of Light either. Odd… just what is this then? "So… I guess we succeeded?" Larxene asks as she lets go of Alice's hands before suddenly feeling like her legs are made of jelly. Judging by the startled gasp from Alice, she isn't doing much better and most likely worst than her.

"I… I suppose we did… thought I never thought it'll take this much energy." Alice grimace as she uses Naruto as support, leaning heavily against the large blonde man. Larxene grimace slightly at the fact that she has no support for her other than the door and her sense of pride. It probably pays to have someone as large as Naruto around.

It takes little to no time for Alice to regain her balance, much to Larxene's amusement. The Savage Nymph wonders just what the girl did to herself to have such recovery rate. From what little they had on all the Princess of Hearts, she is the youngest and Kairi seems to be physically the strongest. Snow White is the kindest while Belle is the wisest, and such and such. Never in any of the report does it suggest that the Princesses of Hearts physically train themselves. It does intrigue Larxene on how Alice recovers from such a large energy lost so quickly.

Still, it hardly matter at the moment. Turning to the new gate, Larxene wonders just where it leads to. They only focus on making a gate, never on the destination of the gate. They could always dismiss it, but Alice said that she can only summon a world hopping gate every three or so days, and there is no proof that this silver gate won't do the same.

So all in all, there is only one choice for them. "Well, who's going in first?" Larxene chirps out as she claps her hands. That action earns her a sweat drop from Suigintou, a glare form Naruto, and a nervous chuckle from Alice. It appears no one wants to volunteer… "Well then, since no one wants to take the initiative, I shall do so for you!"

"Eh? Ms. Larxene, you're going in?" Alice asks in astonishment. Said astonishment is quickly squashed and replaced with worry as Larxene's smile is replaced by a predatory grin. For some reason, she fears not for her safety, but for her surrogate brother's. "Oh dear…"

"I shall help you through it!" Larxene announces before disappearing and then reappearing behind Naruto. The only male blonde at the moment blinks before his eyes widen to epic proportion. Just as he is about to turn around and stop the woman, Larxene has already rare one foot back and her predatory grin only grows larger with each nanosecond that pass by. In the next instance, Naruto is literally booted through the door, and judging by the yelp of pain and the obscenity coming from inside of it, she kicked him with quite a bit of force. Although that is not what Alice is worried about. It's the fact that Naruto's voice is gradually fading until there is nothing but a strange humming coming from the door.

"…Pffff!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!! BAKA NINGEN GOT BOOTED HAHAHA!" Suigintou bursts into laughter as she holds her stomach while tears build up at the corner of her eyes. It probably hurts her to be laughing this hard. Of course, the laughter ceased when she feels a hand grab her by the back of her dress. "…W-wait, you can't do this…"

"Sure I can. Besides, you have your case with you, so there is no excuse to use against me." Larxene says as she produces said case before shoving it into the doll's arms. With a wave and a cheeky wink, the Savage Nymph tosses the doll through the door as well much to Suigintou's chagrin, annoyance, and anger. Now then, there is just one more person left… "Now then… shall we continue with the… trip?"

"Eep…" is Alice's only answer. The next moment, she has her back pack tossed to her (the one with all that is on them: potions, strange blob thingies, and this and that), picked up bridal style, and unceremoniously tossed through the gate. "KYAAAAAaaaaaaaa~~…!"

Letting out a sigh of contentment, Larxene wipes some imaginary sweet from her forehead before stretching and says, "Well now, that is taken care of, I wonder how I close this door…"

"Oho… quite interesting…"

Larxene tense at the voice, turns around, and blinks at the appearance of one of her… colleagues. More appropriately, it is the appearance of Vexen, and when Larxene's eyes land on his smirk, she gulps. "When did you get here…? No wait, actually, never mind that. What I want to know is what you plan to…You wouldn't dare…"

The Chilly Alchemist hums in thought before slowly walking over to Larxene. When he is practically toe-to-toe with her, he smiles as he leans down a little so that they can make eye contact. Just then, he blinks at the new hair style on the woman and smiles. "Hmm, I knew long hair suits you better. Oh, and by the way…I dare." Vexen says as an answer to Larxene's challenge, and before the Number Twelve can react, Vexen gently pushes her through the door with a simple forehead flick. Larxene screams as she also gets sucked into the gate before it closes, cutting off further abuse to Vexen's ears, and promptly vanishes.

The elderly man just chuckles before turning around to walk out of the room, all the while saying, "Those people will do you good Larxene, so enjoy your stay with them. Now that is over with… I have certain things that need to be taken care of. One of such is to figure out just who is stealing my lab's equipment."

XXXXXXXXXX

The experience of traveling through THIS gate is seriously doing a number on Naruto's stomach. All this twisting and turning, and all the while there are flashes of all these colors in front of his eyes. It's like being squished through a tube, then stretched incredibly wide, and then once more squished into an even narrower tube.

It is here that Naruto decides that he needs to get a Gummy Ship (whatever that is) from Leon… after he kicks his ass for one reason or another.

Still, just when he thinks he can't take any more of it, he sees a similar gate on the other end of this… adventure. Gritting his teeth, Naruto braces himself for impact; only to be surprised when the door simply opens, and dump him, head first, into a beach. Pulling himself up, Naruto shakes his head free of sand before looking over his surrounding. It appears to be an island with stuff built into the cliffs and a small harbor on the edge. The place is however filled with tropical plant lives like palm trees though. There also appears to be some kind of tree houses scattered here and there. Looking out towards the ocean, he squint his eyes, making out a much larger island, or maybe even a whole continent not too far away. (4)

Wherever they ended up, it is a given that this place is peaceful.

"…aaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

Looking up, Naruto is just in time to receive a certain black case smashing him right in his face. The force of it unbalanced the blonde shinobi, causing him once more to falls down onto the beach. Groaning, he sits up to see Suigintou moaning away with swirls as her eyes. It makes him feel better to know that he is not the only one who feels like shit after coming out of that gate. It's just that he is used to it… to a certain degree. Getting punched through walls tends to make your stability at high speed rather well. Still, if Suigintou is here, that means…

"IyaaaaAAAAAANNNNNNN~~~!!!"

Right on time… **THUD!** Note to self, Alice has a really, really hard head. "Ow…"

"O-o-o-o-owie…" Alice moans as she messages her head that not so long ago connected with Naruto's. So far, the girl is sprawled onto of Naruto with anime tears streaming down her face. At this moment in time, Naruto could swear that Alice is chibified or something, because she looks rather small… or maybe it's an after effect of getting your head knocked by perhaps an equally hard head. Either way, he can see little Larxene skipping in circles above him, and that definitely proved that he was hit harder than he first thought… Now it's kind of funny, because there is another Larxene coming their way…

Oh shit…

"AaaaaAAAAAAARRRGGGGH~~!!"

"Oof!"

"Nya?!"

"Argh! Get off you damned humans!"

If they do not look like a mess of tangled limbs, they do now after Larxene's rather surprising entrance. Said pile of limbs moans and groans in pain and dizziness before Larxene quickly leaps off and starts shouting obscenity at where the gate once was. "YOU GODDAMNED OLD MAN!!! HOW DARE YOU THROW ME THROUGH THE GATE LIKE THAT!! I SWEAR WHEN I GET BACK, I'M GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE!!!" The woman shouts, and judging by the vein that is throbbing on her forehead, she is rather serious.

Now that, however, reminds Naruto just how they got through the gate in the first place… Now it's his turn to have a throbbing vein on his forehead. "Larxene~~."

"Hugee?!" Larxene cringes at the extreme amount of killer intent aimed toward her. Slowly turning her head and up, she stares into the flaming eyes of Uzumaki Naruto, who has this rather creepy grin on his face as well as this ominous shadow. The woman finds herself laughing nervously as she finally got a taste of just how… big Naruto is up close. It doesn't help that she is somewhat below average on the height department either. Still, there is someone that needs to be pacified first… "Ah… ha… ahahaha… s-sorry about that?"

"…" Naruto grits his teeth in annoyance, making Larxene shrinks back as she pokes her index fingers together. She is about to say something more when Naruto's head seems to grow to a gigantic size, and he roars, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOU FUCKED UP MIND!?! THAT WAS FREAKING DANGEROUS!!!" The force of the yelling is enough to cause a small whip-lash of wind that blows at Larxene. It is a near perfect replica of Iruka's Big Head No Jutsu. Too bad he couldn't quite get the size…

"Mm, onii-chan, not so loud…" Alice moans as she nurses her head for the migraine that some how developed. Currently she is sitting on her behind while groaning in agony, the back pack she was carrying discarded to the side for some much needed rest.

Naruto blinks at what Alice called him before turning around and stares at the girl. Seemingly sensing his gaze, Alice stops messaging her head and looks up through her bangs and asks, "Onii-chan, why are you staring at me? …Did my skirt-?!" Looking down, Alice sighs in relief at the fact that her skirt did not rip or reveal anything. Tilting her head, she wonders just what it is that warrants such strange stare from her onii-chan. It's not like something weird happened right…? Did she just say onii-chan? "…Eh? Why do I say onii-chan? Heh!!? I keep saying onii-chan when I want to say onii-chan, but I only get onii-chan instead of what I used to call onii-chan!! HEEEEEHH?!? J-just what in the world… onii-chan!! Help me!!"

Naruto twitches at that, having finally identified just why he finds it so strange. After all, it's not everyday that you switch from English (as he learned Alice's native language to be called) to his original language. It is somewhat amusing to see Alice panic while continue to sprawl forth lots and lots of 'onii-chan' as well as the occasional 'onii-sama,' 'onii-tan,' 'onii-chama,' and even 'onii-tama.' It is also rather funny to see Alice speaking non stop in his native language. As such, having long forgotten to scream at Larxene, Naruto starts to crack up much to Alice's distress and irritation.

So without much warning, the little girl stands up, dusts off her skirt, marches up to Naruto, and delivers one heck of a kick to his shin, all the while shouting, "ONII-CHAN NO BAKA (3)!! This isn't funny!! AAAAAH!! I CAN'T SPEAK ANY ENGLISH!!! WAAAAAHHH!! WHAT WOULD PENELOPE NEE-CHAN THINKS?!?!"

"Ara?! A-Alice!! D-don't cry!! It's not bad you know. It's just that you switched language… err… yeah, that's it, you switched language! Nothing bad about that!! I can still understand you, and you can still understand me!" Naruto says in a panic as Alice promptly burst into tears. He really doesn't understand just why she finds the language switch so distressing. Maybe it's because he laughed at her, or maybe it's a combination of many things. Whatever the case, he really, really did not know why she burst into tears!! "I-it's not like Penelope will notice or anything!!"

"…Mm!! –sniff- Onii-chan no baka!!! WAAAAAH!!"

"Ara, ara, it seems that you really screwed up baka ningen."

"…Shut it kuso ningyou. This is not the time."

Off to the side, Larxene lets out a small sigh of relief. She feels as if she'll die again at that instance.

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After calming Alice down (only to get a somewhat exhausted girl in return), the company of four quickly explored the small island. Finding nothing but empty shakes and what not, the four then heads to the harbor.

The four finds it to be a blessing that there is a small boat there, just large enough to fit them all. Well, three really, because Suigintou can fly, and her size really doesn't matter much in this instance. With a make shift oar henged from a Kage Bunshin, Naruto quickly rolls them to what appears to be the main island if the building and the much larger harbor is any indication. Nodding, the blonde shinobi parks the boat to an inconspicuous corner and quickly help the others get off board. With that done, the foursome decides unanimously to explore the town before deciding just what it is that they want to do here. That, and they need to find someplace for Alice, because while she is still able to walk on her own two legs, she is moving rather sluggishly. Naruto keep thinking that she'll fall at any given moment without warning. The combination of door summoning and then crying rather loudly for a few minutes tend to exhaust anyone… both physically and mentally.

"Hey, Minato!! Wait!"

Well then, they probably should ask for direction to the nearest hotel. If not, then the next best thing they can do is to sleep outside, and Naruto rather prefer if they don't. Islands aren't as protected as other landscape when it comes to wind. He certainly doesn't want to see Alice catching a cold.

"Minato!!! Are you ignoring me?!?!"

So caught up in his thoughts, Naruto never once notice how Larxene stops to turn around and see just who and what the person is shouting about.

Said blonde shinobi is still currently contemplating the situation as well as trying to think of a way to gain information without making him seems like some kind of pervert or whatever. That aside, there is also the fact that he is rather hungry, and so are the rest of his odd ball group he suppose. The last time they ate was breakfast, and that was several hours ago.

"Mi~na~to~~~!!!"

Once again, so caught up in his thought, Naruto never once realize just how dangerous his well been is at the moment. Alice did though, as she turns around to see what the commotion is about, only to pale as she stutters out, "O-onii… chan…?"

Now then, which one should they go for first? Food or shelter?

"Mi~na~to~kun!!! YOU ASSHOLE!!"

That finally catches Naruto's attention as the tone simply strike at his survival instincts, he turns around just in time to see a raging red head, hair tied into two pig tails that probably reach just past her shoulder blades, with chin length bangs framing her face. Emerald eyes that sparkles in rage, cute nose, and full lips pulled back in an extremely pissed off expression, all of which combines to become a stunningly beautiful face. Then he catches a glimpse of white panties under what seems to be a school uniform consisted of a white bottom up blouse, a black neck tie, and a light blue and white pleaded skirt. (5) Then the next thing Naruto knows, he has a boot smashing into his face…

A boot with steel plating hidden within it…

With a lot of force behind it…

And what felt like chakra…

It sends him flying back, through a fence, obliterate a trash can, before finally stopping as he implants into the wall of an unfortunate house.

Before he lost consciousness, he can hear the Alice's panic, Suigintou's awe, and Larxene's nonchalant commenting.

He also heard this: "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO… Wait… you're not Minato…"

…Whoever this Minato person is, he is so kicking his ass when he wakes up…

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Author's Notes:

Hmm… this is a strange chapter. It doesn't flow as well as I think it well, forcing me to do a few compromises. I really do think I can do much better… hmm, I'll just see how it turns out I suppose. The beginning and the end are in fact the same incident. I wonder if it's confusing… if it is, I'm sorry, but now you know. Also, if you want to guess just who the person that delivered that kick to Naruto is, send me a PM and I'll answer. If you're correct, give yourself a pat on the back or treat yourself to some cookies. Otherwise, don't think too much into it.

Anyways… there aren't really much things I think you should know, but I'll just put some up anyway, mostly for fun haha. So:

1) Shame on those who couldn't guess who he is thinking about.

2) There will always be things in some places or stuck between dimensions. Just because you don't see them does not necessary mean they do not exist.

3) A rather literally meaning of 'stupid brother' or 'brother is an idiot,' which ever form you prefers. I just want to see how it works with Alice saying onii-chan instead of brother. It turns out to be quite cute!! 3 …I did not just do that…

4) There is only one place that contains all of which I just described.

5) Again, more hints on just where Naruto can Co ended up in… as well as a little on who this person is. You are either going to like what I'm going to do, or hate it. Which ever the case, do reserve your judgment before being completely sure just what I'm doing.

Well, that's pretty much all I can say for now. School started, but that doesn't mean I will slow down in updates. Rather, it all depends on how brutal they'll want to mutilate my creativity… or how well they're going to nurture it. You'll be surprise just how well a stimulus boring lectures can be… But to all college people who read this, don't zoom out. I know I'm a hypocrite, but I make up for that with piecing stuff together as well as reading the notes posted online (if there are any).

Mm… yes, that is all I can rumble on for now. I'm a little under the weather, and it does sap my strength somewhat. Mental exhaustion I can somewhat handle, but coupled with physical? That is pushing it a little. Hopefully I'll be fine within a day or two.

Anyhow, APH signing off for this chapter!

HAVE FUN!!! (^.^)

PS: Push that review bottom… push it!!!

PPS: Nah, I'm just joking haha. No pressure. Although I would appreciate any comments or thoughts.


	16. Chp 16, Thanksgiving Special

Enjoy the product of Thanksgiving Madness… that is all.

Disclaimer: ME NO OWN!!!!

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There are a lot of things that people are thankful for in their life. For one Uzumaki Naruto, this is also true even though his life can be compared to a personal hell should he want to.

However, what exactly can a man who suffered through hell in his childhood is a trained killer that can kill a person is so many way as well as a box of tampon, and has seen more and done more than some people twice his age can ever boost to accomplish?

Well…

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**Number 10 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

"…Ow… where am I?" Naruto asks as he opens his eyes to survey his surrounding. All he remembers is that the dream abruptly ended and then there is Darkness. Wake up, sure, he'll do that, but really, can't the voice be a little more obvious about what he should do after waking up?

Still… Just where did he wake up?

A field of flower, with clear blue sky, and is that a rainbow?

"…What the…?"

"Oh ho! You're awake. It's such a good thing to see you awake!" A voice says from behind him, startling the shinobi as he mentally curse himself for letting his guard down. Jumping onto his feet and turning around, he is about to unleash hell when his jaw drops to the ground is sheer horror.

It's walk, talking, breathing purple dinosaur…

"Oh my, my name is Barney, Barney the Purple Dinosaur. What is yours?" The dinosaur says as he waves a short purple hand with opposable thumb and seems to grin.

To this, Naruto's left eye has developed a tick, and it won't stop ticking as he continues to stare at the dinosaur named Barney.

It seems that the Power-That-Be has decides to send him somewhere that will forever traumatize him…

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**Number 9 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

After waking up to the two girls babbling in some unknown language, Naruto wonders what else can be wrong.

Somehow, one way or another, he should know better than to ask that.

"Alice… you mind leaving for a moment?"

"Eh? Sister?"

"Your sister has something she wants to do…"

"Eh?"

"Now, now. It's not suitable for children. So please leave the room and do not return until I come to fetch you."

"Eh?!"

"Well then, mysterious blonde stranger who is very handsome… give me some sugar!"

"E-EH?!?!?!"

"Oh don't give me that look, I'm trying to make you an aunt here!"

"EEEEHHHHHHH?!?!?!"

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**Number 8 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

The two blondes are currently in Yen Sid's library, looking for anything that can and could be read within the short amount of time they have. For Naruto, it is not a problem should he wish to read the entire library in one night, but of course, that would require putting himself into the ward for the mentally insane, so he has refrained for doing that.

Rather, he is here more for looking over Alice as she runs around in excitement, looking and scanning every title that she can get her little delicate hands on. It makes Naruto chuckles at how easily Alice's eyes lit up by simply being in the presence of so many books. Although that does bring about the question of how she never is able to sit still during tutor sessions…

Wait, that's a stupid question.

"Oh, such a strange orange little book?"

…Say what? Looking over, Naruto's face pale as his eyes nearly leave their rightful position on his face as his sight lands on a very familiar little orange book. There is simply no way… No fucking way that it could be happening! "A-ALICE DO NOT OPEN-!"

"Let's see… Icha Icha Paradise? Curiouser and curiouser. I wonder what's in it… Oh my!" Alice says as she opens the book before gasping in shock at the contents her eyes land upon the FIRST page of the book, her face blushing a crimson that puts tomato to a suicidal shame. "B-brother…?!" The girl squeaks as she slams the book shut just in time for Naruto to snatch it out of her hands. "…Is that how babies are made…?"

That very moment, Naruto decides that should he meet Jiraiya, somehow, somewhere in some remote corner of heaven or hell, he will beat his ass up, and then shove a Rasengan down it, before following it with a Rasenshuriken powered by Sage chakra.

The fact that Jiraiya is his master and godfather be damned.

…But first, he needs to kick Yen Sid's ass for even having that book within reachable distance of a child as impressionable as Alice.

The fact that Yen Sid is one of universe's most powerful wizards be damned.

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**Number 7 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

When he thinks that he'll be getting a new outfit, he never thought that it'll be through the means of magic.

He never thought that he'll be getting a new outfit, whose creators are but three fairies with some kind of color obsession.

Three fairies continue to flicker their wands, changing his outfit from one thing to another.

Three fairies change his outfit from one provocative cloth to another.

It provides many traumatizing mental images as well as resurfacing several unpleasant memories of his time with Jiraiya on his training trip.

Seriously, it is just not right to have old ladies dressing you in leather and having you hold whips and paddles…

How is he going to explain this to Penelope when she comes about the knowledge of what Alice sees today…?

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**Number 6 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

"You know… Brother is very gentle with me." Alice sudden blurs out that particular dinner with the restoration committee, leaving many confused as to just what she is getting at. "His touch is very soothing yet rough when he requires it."

"…What?" Leon asks as his brain races through the entire library of possible things that the Princess of Hearts can mean. There are several that he hopes she isn't implying at.

"Well, he is never rough and only applies more force when I ask for it. Other wise, he is very gentle, but at times his pace is fast and furious, leaving me shivering all over. He is so big and so strong." Alice chirps as a big smile appears on her face, completely oblivious to the reddening face of many members and the paling face of Naruto. There is also the little detail about how Yuffie is sporting a nose bleed and Tifa gaping like a fish out of the water. Of course, Merlin choking and spattering isn't exactly something to ignore… But Alice did in fact miss all that as she sighs dreamily. "There is also the fact that he knows so many different-."

"That's it Uzumaki, you die today." Leon says as he, alone with Yuffie, Tifa, and Merlin leap at Naruto with the intension to crush, burn, main, castrate, and finally tear his head off. The blonde shinobi can only yelps in panic as he tries to defend himself, but the way Alice said things leave little for him to defend with. Soon the room degenerates into Chaos as one of the universe's champion runs for his life. During all this Aerith sweat drops with a strained smile while Cid snorts in amusement.

"Seriously, getting worked up when she's talking about training." The man says as he drinks down a gulp of beer and slams his mug onto the table with a sigh. "Guess I should break this up before we murder a Key Wielder in misunderstanding."

"Of course I'm talking about him training me, particularly in the art of fencing. What else could I be talking about?" Alice asks in confusion as she turns to a visibly strained Aerith and asks, "Miss Aerith, just what did they thought I was talking about?"

"Err… well dear, you see…" Aerith starts as she scratches her cheek, her smile becoming even more strained while a small blush appears on her face. It really makes Alice even more confused as to why that is.

Just then, she heard someone yelling the comment that Naruto is a pedophilic freak and should not exist for defiling a Princess of Hearts. Blinking in confusion, Alice shouts out, "Why do you say my brother is a… Oh… Oh! …Ooohhhhh… Oh dear…"

Somehow, during all that and amidst the Chaos of painful squeals and dirty curses and Alice's blushing face as well as sputtering sentences, Aerith never thinks about just how Alice comes to acquire the knowledge of sexual intercourse and the definition of Pedophile.

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**Number 5 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

"…Alice, you deal with the girl, I'll handle the boys…"

"Oh, but brother, she doesn't look like she'll bite you, let alone eat you."

"…You never know. Now off you go."

"…Wimp."

Hold it, freeze!! Rewind!

"W-what?" Naruto asks as he stares at his surrogate sister in astonishment and bewilderment. What did she just call him?

"I'm calling you a wimp." Alice says with a frown as she crosses her arms, much to Naruto's astonishment. "You are supposed to be a pimp of omega proportion, but you're afraid of approaching one girl?!"

What did she just say he is supposed to be? "A-Alice?!"

"God, I'm ashamed of you. How do you suppose I'm going to explain this to Penelope when she finds out I can't make you into a pimp?"

…What did he just learned about Penelope? "Say w-what?!"

"That's right. I can't. Now go over there and make yourself the pimp that my sister thinks you can become. Do not disappoint me!"

What has the universe comes to? "…What the fuck?!"

"Oh, and I hope you know what a bitch-slap it…" Alice murmurs as she narrows her eyes at the shock-frozen shinobi next to her and holds up a hand, fingers straight and held together with her palm facing him. There is only one thing that goes through Naruto's mind at this moment…

…Holy son of a…

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**Number 4 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

"…What do you prefer in a girl?" Suigintou asks as she plots herself onto Naruto's head, much to the shinobi's annoyance. "Do you like girls that are similar to your sister?"

"Now what gives you that idea?" Naruto asks as he dices up some more vegetable. Oh how he hate them. Foods are not supposed to be green. He prefers ramen, but of course, he has no idea how to make them, and there are none of those instant ones that he can use as substitutes. When was the last time he had ramen anyway?

"Well… you do pretty much everything she asks you to do." The doll observes as she plants her elbows on her laps and then supports her head with her hands. "I mean, all she needs to do is say "Brother, help me with this," and you'll be doing whatever this is."

"Hey, I just like to help is all?" Naruto says, though to him it sounds rather unconvincing as he dices up more vegetable at a much faster pace with much more needed force. They might need a new cutting board soon if he continues.

"Brother, can you come help me get a pan? It's too high up." Alice's voice drifts into his ears, and Naruto quickly abandon his work and turns around with hearts in his eyes.

"Hai Alice-chwan!!!"

…He'll never live that down, and Suigintou will make sure that he'll never forget either.

(Because really, Naruto does not have a sister complex…)

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**Number 3 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

Naruto stares, Suigintou stares, and Larxene stares as the blonde girl known as Alice curse up a storm.

The three do not, will not and certainly cannot believe that someone as sweet, pure, and innocent as Alice has such a vocabulary… Just where did she get all that anyway? Is it Naruto's influence? He certainly does not remember cursing like this in front of her in the past…

"-Of all that fucking things to happen, this is certainly **beeep**-"

And of course, just what set off the Princess of Hearts? They do not know…

"-Most annoying, freaking God damned **beeep**-"

They are of course not in a hurry to find out.

Anything that can make Larxene blush is things that are best not mentioned.

That, and Naruto is sure Penelope will skinned him alive, dump a mountain of salt on him, before boiling him in a pot of olive oil…

Why olive oil? Where did that come from anyway?

"-Stupid son of a **beep-beeep-beep**-!"

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**Number 2 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

It's a quiet day in Castle Oblivion as the four lounges around the library. It's such a lazy day that no one wants to do anything. Even the usually bickering pair of Naruto and Suigintou is quiet, with the doll leaning against the shinobi in a docile manner while nodding off. Larxene has long since left the world of reality and enter dream land on the longest couch within the library, and Alice has being reading a biology book for some time now.

This is a very peaceful atmosphere that, Naruto is sure, cannot be disturbed.

"Brother… where did babies come from?"

…He take that back…

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**Number 1 on the list of things he is thankful for not happening…**

"NYAAAAAA?!?!?! B-BROTHER, I'M DYING!!!"

Hearing that, Naruto abandon any and every activity he was doing and quickly home in upon Alice's voice. When he arrives at his destination, he pauses as his eyes land upon the entrance of the bathroom they have confiscated as their own. A feeling a dread builds on in his stomach. She couldn't possibly… why now? Why does it have to happen now? Why when there is only him and Alice? Why?! They only just arrived to this God forsaken castle a day ago!

"I-I'm bleeding down there!!!"

Yes, it is what he suspected. No, he does not know how to handle it. Maybe, he can throw himself out the window and hopefully kill himself. Definitely, he will handle it as professional as he can and as calm as he can. Certainly, he will make someone pay for this…

Who, he doesn't know. One thing he is certain though is that somewhere, some higher being of existence must like to torture him.

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Thankfully, none of this situation occurred. Let alone even come remotely close to happening. As such, Naruto is very thankful for his life turning out the way it is at this very moment as he lays on the bed in their commandeered room within Castle Oblivion. Why did he even thought of those scenario is beyond him however. Maybe it is that questionable can of peaches he swallowed? Or maybe it is just his over creative mind making up for the boredom he was in at this very moment, when he lies awake upon the bed, trying to sleep but failing miserably to do so. Suigintou has long since retreat back into her case to sleep while Larxene has flopped down on the other vacant bed and judging by her even breathing, she is out like a candle. Alice was snuggled against him, having abandoned his suggestion of sleeping with Larxene and opting to share a bed with him; something about him being a very good pillow. However, she has walked out of the room not so long again; now where did Alice go again?

Oh right, she says something about needing to go to the restroom…

"KYAAAAAAAAA!!! B-BROTHER, I'M DYING!!!"

Huh? Now why would be screaming that she's dying from the restroom…?

"H-H-HELP!! I'M BLEEDING DOWN THERE!!!"

Oh!

OOOOhhhh…

Oh…

Oh fuck.

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Author's Little Corner of Insanity:

Why did this chapter come about? I do not know. Blame the Thanksgiving madness and the usual stress as well as the fact that I need some laugh and somehow I can't make the next chapter work. Of course, I personally think I can do better with this chapter, but nah, what you get is what you see. Besides, this is something hastily put together within the spam of one day… ONE FREAKING DAY. I personally believe it's not up to my usual standard… but that may just be me.

Do tell me what you think so.

**IMPORTANT:** I am issuing a challenge for a Naruto-Inuyasha crossover (though it has being there for a while now… just never really noticed by people). The info is within my profile, and give it a look if not at least spread the word. I'm very interested to see what people can come up with. Besides, I think it's high time another good crossover appear within that category. There are good ones, yes, but too many are set in Konoha. I wish there are more that are set in other dimensions. Konoha is good and all, but things tend to get repetitive after the… tenth ones? Oh well, either way… 'nough said.

That is all. HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND EAT LOTS OF TURKEY!!!

APH OUT!! GOBO!!!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Seriously… what else is new?

Beta by: Soul-Nin

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Uzumaki Kushina wasn't sure what to make of the situation that she, quite literally, kicked in the head. Here it is: her son, who she thought she would never get the chance to meet, not with her own crappy situation that life decided to throw her into was just knocked flying by yours truly. Of course, that's just it; she only knows that he is her son. She doesn't know where he came from, only that she used to be there. Minato said that it was a place called Konoha; surrounded by trees and it seemed to be spring all year round. She had no memory of it, much to Minato's frustration and confusion, despite him somehow retaining all memories of his… past life you could say.

Reincarnation is quite the strange thing, because she didn't remember him at first when she moved here with her parents. She was just a happy little girl that moved to a new place, ready to make new friends and start new adventures. Then he came up to her, introduced himself, and gave her THAT smile. A strange little smile that is sad yet happy at the same time. That was how Uzumaki Kushina made the acquaintance of Namikaze Minato, and as they grew, she learned that it was actually their re-acquaintance.

It was confusing at first, because she didn't know what to make of the flashes of images and visions as well as unexplained facts such as how fast a human can throw a kunai or how much strength you need to put into a punch to decimate a brick wall (and it freaked her out because she never wanted to decimate a brick wall). Then the faces, voices, and names that were here and there, yet were neither there nor here. She started to 'remember' people, some just voices with a face, other a name with the voice, and there were times when she could recall a person so well even though she had never met them. When she finally confided in Minato who was starting to become her best friend, he just gave her THAT smile. It was also the day she 'remembered' that she loved and adored that blonde munchkin she called her best friend. Then, like they said, the rest is history.

However, there are still some strange facts that Kushina isn't quite sure how to react to.

For example, Kushina remembered who she was, not what she was. The red head knows that she was, and still plans to be when she is of legal age, Minato's wife. Her love for the blonde is there, just as it was in her past life. She has flashes of faces with names and some names that don't come with faces, some voices have names attached to them, and some faces with no voice attached to them. She has a memory of a particular white haired man named Jiraiya who she has this unexplainable urge to mop the floor with and this really old man call Sarutobi Hiruzen that is like another father to her. She retains memories of certain things like what taijutsu is, but not why she knows them. She has methods that can make her appear like super-human with this chakra thing, moving at speed thought otherwise impossible, yet not why she knows them. She knows that most of the faces and voices and names can do similar things that she and Minato can do, but not why. When she asks Minato about it, he just smiles this THAT smile, saying that it's better if she doesn't remember. Kushina isn't sure if she should envy Minato or not, because unlike her, he retained everything.

As in… every single little deed, ranging from stupid things to stuff dangerous enough to get you killed. He remembered them all. It caused Kushina many moments of envy, yet at the same time she sometimes can't help but pity him because there are moments when he has this far away look on his face that is full of sadness and regret. At times, he'll sneak into her room, drenched in a cold sweat with this look on his face that pulled at her heart, and they'll stay up the entire night just talking about everything and nothing. There were also times when she said something that simply came to mind, and he'll burst into this joyful grin that could out do the sun.

However, what this situation requires is a set of one particular memory.

That one particular memory of Kushina is both happy to have yet at the same time isn't sure what to make of it.

She had given birth once, and that as far as she knew, her SON was just a few minutes old. On the one hand, she is happy to know that she is…was a mother. On the other, she can't help but be sad knowing that she wasn't be there for her little baby, or if he is dead or not.

So when she literally kicked him, sent him flying, obliterating a trashcan with him, destroying a fence with him, and then damaging a particular nice obaa-san's house with him. Well… she wasn't quite sure if she should be happy that he's here, sad that he's here, cry her heart out that she probably just ruined her first impression, jump for joy that she can kick her son's ass (she blames her hormones and her second teenage period), or be angry at Minato because there is just something about him being here that screams at her motherly instinct that Minato has fucked up; big time.

After staring at the mess for a while, the reincarnated mother just settle for one reaction. She smiled at him softly and thinking 'My, you've grown…'

"Oh no!! Onii-chan?! Speak to me!!" The voice breaks Kushina out of her wonder as she watches a little blonde girl, no older than 13, rush up to her son (Kushina still finds it weird to call him that). She has long since kneeled down next to him after prying him out of the dent in the wall, and is now lightly slapping his cheeks to try and get him to wake up. Wincing a little to herself as she sees the bruise in the shape of her boot print form on his face, Kushina scratches the back of her neck and turn her attention to the blonde woman who only arches a fine eyebrow at this display of… power let's say and settle with that. The blonde woman just graces her with the same arched eyebrow, and Kushina returns it with a small bow of apology as the little girl goes from light slap to full blown shaking. The girl probably is doing more harm than good, if the way Naruto's head is flapping around like a rag dolls is any indication.

"H-hey! Stop that, you're making it worse!" Kushina blurts out as she quickly walks up to the girl, only to yelp is surprise as she turns a rather fierce and protective look on her. The red head could swear there is an aura of doom about her. If you just add a pair of fluffy ears and a long tail, you'd be seeing a kitten hissing at her, ready to tear into her if she approaches its master. Of course, she is not a cat, and Naruto is not her master. With moves that she has perfected then reinvented, Kushina easily slips past the blonde girl's rather weak and pathetic defense, a hand touching the side of her head that freezes her while the other makes itself comfortable against Naruto's pulse. Counting out the required six seconds, Kushina nods at the regular and strong heart beat, prying open an eye lid just to see the eyeball rolled back in the customary unconscious form. Reaching back, she lightly traces his skull for any wetness while she also marvels at the quality of his blonde hair. When no other injuries present themselves, Kushina sighs and slumps down as she straddles Naruto's stomach to get a better look at him. The face, the lips, the nose, everything about him screams Minato's influence, but he has her general eye shape. The six marks on his cheeks are different though, but she thinks that she has an idea just how they got there, but she's not sure if it is true.

Gently tracing his face with a finger, Kushina finds herself bubbling with happiness that is different from the feeling she gets from Minato, but still similar. "Well now… this is quite the situation…" The girl says softly with an equally soft smile, one that only a mother can produce for her children and that she doesn't know she is capable of. She is vaguely aware of how strange this picture may have been, but she doesn't care. Not yet… reality can wait.

"Y-You stay away from onii-chan!" Oh right, how could she forget about the harmless kitten? Kushina turns amused eyes to the blonde girl that has taken one of Naruto's arms, as if she'll manage to pull him out of here. The redhead doubts that very much, seeing that she is obviously exhausted for some reason and that- hold on! Ducking down, Kushina manages to avoid a rather large sword from taking her head off, and tracing it, she finds herself staring at a silver haired DOLL of all things. She recalls something about puppetry from her memories, but this? "Suigintou!"

"Well, as much as I dislike the baka ningen, I can't let you harm him either. We have a score to settle after all." The doll says as she rests that oversized blade (especially held in her delicate little hands) against her shoulder. Kushina actually has to take a few seconds to register the fact that the doll is smirking at her with a leer. Now this is turning out to be a weird experience.

"Hold on… I'm not hurting him. The girl was just shaking him too much and he might already have a concussion." Kushina says before coming to the fact that they are probably his companions… Oh shit. "W-wait! I'm sorry!! I mistook him for someone else! I didn't mean to kick him!! I meant you no harm!!"

The doll deadpanned, and Kushina cringed for some reason as she says, "Well… could have fooled me."

"…Does it make it better if I said that I'm sorry?" Kushina meekly says as she claps her hands together.

XXXXXXXXXX

A few minutes later, the little group finds themselves in Kushina's home, or more specifically her room as Naruto lies on the bed, still unconscious and now with a rather nasty bruise on his face. Kushina has, after much apologizing and damned near begging, managed to get the group to agree to come to her house so she can treat Naruto's bruise. The motive behind it is rather clear to her. She is responsible for the bruise, and also she wants to spend some more time with him, even if it's just gazing at his unconscious form. As the red hair does a scan of her room, her eyes land on a particular object that she has manage to grab.

A yellow fruit in the shape of a star: the poupou fruit… she hasn't got the chance to share it with Minato. That was why she was so frustrated and become angry with him. That is also why this happened… though she is thankful even when the reality of it all crashes down to her during the trip back to her house.

Here he is, the son she never knows, all grown up and stuff. Here she is, the mother that can't really prove it and is practically a stranger to him. Plus she kicked him rather hard, and you have some issues to deal with; one of which is the little girl and the doll that are somewhat hostile to her and the woman that has yet to say a word during all of this. Turning her attention from Naruto (she hope it's Naruto because they agreed to name him that), Kushina puts on a sheepish smile and says, "You know… I never did get your names…"

"Larxene."

"Suigintou."

"I don't have to answer to you."

Oh dear, the girl is still angry at her. Kushina can easily tell that she's a little disgruntled due to exhaustion, but snappy? Oh, fine, she'll admit the blonde girl has every right to be snappy, what with her and kicking Naruto. Still, you'd think she'd be more worried about him. "Um… right. I'm Uzumaki Kushina-."

"Uzumaki? Isn't that the name the baka ningen use?" The doll Suigintou interrupts as she turns her violet eyes to Larxene, who too blinks in astonishment. Kushina can't blame them, because you can't forget a name like Uzumaki once you heard of it. As far as her memory of her past life tells her, Uzumaki is her last name. In this life, she also goes by this name and she always introduced herself as Uzumaki even way before she met Minato. She always likes the name; it just fits, and it strikes at her as something that is rightfully hers. Call it her pride or whatever, but she is of the whirlpool; of the Uzumaki. This is one thing that she is happy about; her biological parents of this life are also of the Uzumaki.

Of course, it makes her smile knowing that her son uses her name instead of Minato's. She doesn't know why, but while a part of her tells her that it's more for safety reason than anything, she still has something over her beloved. "Is it? That's interesting, because other than me, there aren't any Uzumaki around."

"Hmm… I know his rightful name is Namikaze, but he insisted on using Uzumaki. I wonder why." Suigintou says, more for the benefit of amusing herself than to explain the situation. Kushina still grins, knowing that even though Naruto knew his rightful name, he still chose to keep to the whirlpool. "That aside, is there any other reason you have to bring us here other than to tend to his bruise?"

Alright, the doll is sharp, Kushina will give that to her (and she surprises herself by actually referring the doll as her for some reason). There is just this predatory grin on her face that makes her uneasy, as if she is guilty of withholding some secret or was caught with her hand in the cookie jar and the other already stuffing one in her mouth. Whatever the case…

"Hmm…?" Suigintou presses on, levitating into the air and doing wonders to Kushina's nerves as she invades her personal space. Her violet orbs pierce into emerald green, the doll's smirk turns to an actual leer as she says, "You're hiding something… aren't you?"

"O-oi, I like my personal space you know…" The red head says while she curses herself for such a weak comeback that only seems to make Suigintou even more devious. Frowning, Kushina leaned forward, making Suigintou lean back, not expecting the advance as the red hair says, "Why do I have to explain it to you anyway?"

Suigintou was just about to open her mouth when she was yanked back by a hand, making her yelp as she found herself within the arms of the blonde girl. Suigintou blinked a few times before turning her eyes to the girl, who is glaring daggers at Kushina like a cat glares at a dog. Kushina responds by smiling sweetly and giving her a little wave, amusing herself as the girl acts just like a kitten would. It still confused her about the whole 'onii-chan' business when it came to Naruto though. "So… who is he?" Kushina asked, pointing a finger at the unconscious young man while keeping her eyes on the girl. She is provoking her, and Kushina wants to see how she reacts to get some idea of what she has to work with. Naruto being her son (in one sense or another) is one thing, but this girl she doesn't know. The other two pose no threat as long as she doesn't provoke them, and while she's going to assume the blonde woman won't do anything, the doll is currently occupied so she can't exactly answer any questions. That is why she turns her entire attention onto the girl, and Kushina wonders if she should satisfy her own little desire for some… playtime teasing the little kitten.

"Onii-chan is onii-chan, and that is all you need to know."

Hmm… she is cute, Kushina will give her that as she watches the little girl pout and glare at the same time. Kushina can't truly fathom why she is angry at her, maybe because she kicked Naruto for no apparent reason. Still, she needs to know something, and to make sure she gets it…

"Alright. He is your onii-chan… but who is he?"

When the girl opens her mouth to answer, she pauses, and then clicks her mouth shut. Kushina feels saddened by this, because even the girl can't answer that question.

So instead, Kushina turns her gaze at the young man that now rests on her bed, sporting a bruise that was rather nasty not too long ago already healing up. There isn't a doubt that he is who she thinks he is. He is Uzumaki Naruto; he is the child of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. He is the boy who she secretly wanted to meet for a long, long time now.

He is Uzumaki Naruto… and he is one big puzzle and a stranger to Uzumaki Kushina, who can't help but frown at this little piece of information.

"This will be a problem…" Kushina says to herself, low enough that none of the others can hear her (though whether they can read lips or not remains to be seen). As she thinks of what to do in this situation, her emerald eyes scan over the other three occupants within the room, judging each of them by various things. For example, the blonde girl is the closest to him while the woman Larxene is the most aloof, probably due to them only meeting sometime ago or just keeping things professional. The talking doll (that startles her a little now that it's finally registered that yes she is a doll) seems to have some love-hate relationship with him, or at least she seems to give off that feeling… "Suigintou?"

"What is it?" The doll replies instantly as violet eyes zoom in on Kushina. Having squirmed out of Alice's grasp, the doll is now settled comfortably within the crook of her elbow. The fact that she's rubbing the arm with small, soothing circles isn't lost on the red head.

"You are probably the next person who knows this guy the most. So why don't you tell me something?"

Somehow, that question sounds suspicious. Kushina can't help but blink at that as she ponders the words over in her mind and nods in that yes, it sounds rather suspicious. A sweat drop appears on the back of her head as her face blanks out, thinking, 'This will take a while…'

XXXXXXXXXX

"So… have you found the answer?"

That is the question that has been keeping Naruto here, on the glass platform in silence with the woman in front of him for who knows how long. It began with him losing consciousness, waking up here to find Kyuubi leering at him with this look on her face, and then asking that one simple question.

But if it's such a simple question, why hasn't he provided an answer yet? In fact, just what is his answer suppose to be, and what was the answer originally for? Still, as he ponders upon that question, his eyes have long since locked upon one of the nine circles that surrounds his portrait.

It is the red haired girl that kicked him into oblivion. For her to be in this means that she is important, just as the Kyuubi points out Alice's portray. Suigintou and Larxene also have theirs on the platform, but does this mean the redhead is coming with him? Is this what Kyuubi is getting at? Is this the answer he's supposed to be looking at? Or is this the question that she is asking, and the answer that she expects him to have?

"Hmm… obviously you don't have it yet." Kyuubi purrs out as she drapes herself around Naruto in a shameless embrace that rubs her body against his. It is only his iron will and spending the amount of time he has around Jiraiya that enables Naruto not react to such an obvious attempt at seduction. He mentally wonders if the Kyuubi has changed tactics in trying to get him to free her, but shoves it aside as he glares at the vixen in return.

"What am I looking for?"

"It seems that you have forgotten…" Kyuubi says softly as she taps her chin in thought. Naruto silently observes the fox that he is rather fond of calling a fur ball as she gives a hum every few seconds, as if coming up with then discarding ideas as fast as she goes through bodies and corpses. He isn't stupid to think that the woman is harmless. She is the legendary Nine Tailed Fox, who can sink a mountain or create a tsunami with a wave of her tail… or so it says. There is no doubt that she is powerful, but Naruto has no idea the extents of it…

He is only staring at the yang part of her after all.

"Well, instead of asking for the answer, I'll just ask you this: have you found peace?"

Huh? What is that suppose to mean?

Then Naruto is suddenly awake, in the world of the living as he stares at an unfamiliar ceiling of some dark room. Judging by the small amount of light coming from the window next to the bed he was resting on, it's night time (because though it has its curtain drawn, there would still be a orange halo around it should it be morning or afternoon). It has long since become old to wake up at unfamiliar places (Penelope's house not included), what with their travel and all. But he doesn't remember coming… oh, that's right.

Remembering the events before he was sent into blissful unconsciousness, Naruto sits up and rubs his head. Thanking whoever it is that is keeping the light off, Naruto lets his mind mull over what the Kyuubi asked of him.

There was a question that he was asked some time ago… and that question was important, that much he knows. However, what was it, and did he already answer it?

Actually, there is the other question that bugs him.

Has he found peace?

Well, that one seems easy to answer.

**Click!** The light suddenly turns on, blinding him as he shields his eyes from the sudden change in brightness. Suppressing the groan that threatens to escape his lips through years of ninja training, Naruto carefully opens his eyes to survey his surrounding.

It isn't much. It is a moderate sized bed room with baby blue walls, numerous posters of some singers and bands here and there as well as framed pictures of people that he can't quite make out the details of at this range. The bed isn't big, just enough for one person to stretch out on, and for someone of his height, it is barely long enough to lie him down. Ignoring the blue bed sheets, his eyes first focus on the book shelf filled with books directly at the bed's foot, then slowly travel to a closet and complementary dresser with a practically naked girl drying her hair out. Next to the dresser is a desk pilled with what looks to be school work with a simple chair pulled back with a jacket draped over it. Further along is the one window leading into this room, with its curtain –which is orange by the way- drawn. It is a plain room and room of a girl if the plushies he sees here and there are any indication. There is a strange star-like yellow fruit on the desk, but he pays it no mind.

After all, for some reason he feels like he missed a very important detail…

_It isn't much. It is a moderate sized bed room with baby blue walls, numerous posters of some singers and bands here and there as well as framed pictures of people that he can't quite make out the details of at this range. The bed isn't big, just enough for one person to stretch out on, and for someone of his height, it is barely long enough to lie him down. Ignoring the blue bed sheets, his eyes first focus on the book shelf filled with books directly at the bed's foot, then slowly travel to a closet and complementary dresser with __**a practically naked girl drying her hair out**__. Next to the dresser is a desk pilled with what looks to be school work with a simple chair pulled back with a jacket draped over it. Further along is the one window leading into this room, with its curtain –which is orange by the way- drawn. It is a plain room and room of a girl if the plushies he sees here and there are any indication…_

With a practically naked girl drying her hair out…

With a **practically naked girl** drying her hair out…

Ah… "Shit."

"Hmm? Who in the… oh…" The girl says, half dressed (meaning in only her panties and bra… orange, good choice) turns around before pausing as her emerald green eyes (the same eyes of the person who kicked him) makes contact with his own wide and horror filled ones. The silence that fills the room is very tense as the girl slowly brings the towel she discarded up to cover herself. Naruto continues to stare at her, not sure whether he should blush crimson or pale pure white at this situation. He remembers very well her kick, and this situation warrants an ass kicking to be dealt out even if it's an accident (him waking up at this moment, she deciding to conveniently forget about him in her room).

Deciding to get the inevitable over with, Naruto closes his eyes, sighs, swings his legs off the bed, sighs again, then look up with serious eyes that morph into one who expects death as he gives a small wave. "Hey…"

"…Is this the part where I scream 'hentai' and kick your ass?" The girl asks with an equally serious face, one hand clutching the towel to her chest, the other planted on her shapely hip. The way her still damp hair falls off and frames her face makes her a work of art… one that can give you nightmares if looked at the wrong way. Naruto knows this very well, especially that silent rage that burns within her eyes. You really don't travel with someone like Ero-sannin for two and a half years and not recognize the look of a woman pissed as hell. Of course, being a male, he will appreciate the sight 'offered' to him by her, but he really believed that unless given willingly, it is never worth it.

So while his resolve is still strong, Naruto puts on a brave smile and says, "Yeah… this is the part where you scream and kick my ass."

Uzumaki Naruto expects many things to happen at this very precise moment. One of them is an ear piercing scream that can wake the dead and bring his doom about him. The other is a beating that will make lesser man faint and war hardened soldier flinch at the cruelty. Hell, he is even expecting to see some form of light at the end of some dark tunnel only to wake up at some hospital, bandaged and banged up. What he didn't expect is the foot that connects with his head with such force that if his neck didn't turn with its force, it'd snap.

Of course, it just confirms that she has one hell of a kick.

The kick did manage to force him back onto the bed with a grunt. Knowing that resistance is futile and that running only makes it worse, Naruto closes his eyes to wait for the pain to start raining down. If the girl can deal out justice herself, then he is not going to stop her. He's had enough run-ins with half naked kunoichi to know that running only make matters worse. While this girl can't qualify as a kunoichi (he thinks, because she sure hits like one), he isn't about to run.

He isn't about to run when a weight settles on his stomach.

He isn't about to run when tiny fists take hold of his shirt.

He isn't about to run when a shadow falls over his still closed eyes.

He isn't about to run when arms surrounds his neck in a hug.

He isn't about to… Huh?

"Well, it's good to see you awake. Since the punishment is dealt out, I think we can put that behind us, ne?" Her voice that was so serious before turned soothing as it caresses his ear. Naruto pops his eyes open to be greeted by a curtain of crimson tresses falling over one creamy shoulder (and the orange bra strap, but he ignores that…). The blonde shinobi isn't sure how to react at all to this situation. Usually he either has escaped with his master (may his soul rest in… ah, screw it, let him burn in hell before drowning in a sea of women) or is in the hospital beaten and bruised. This is an entirely new experience… "Besides, I'm happy to finally get to meet you…"

"Huh?"

"Onii-chan? Are you awake? What is… oh my…" Hearing this, Naruto bolts up, taking the red head with him as he stares, eyes wider than before as he looks at Alice as she blinks back. Her face however transform from surprise to a blank look before morphing into an exceedingly sweet smile that radiates death… or what looks like death anyway. "Onii-chan, if you were busy you could have just said so."

Naruto wonders just what the girl is talking about when he finally takes in the pose he and the redhead are in: his hands a few centimeters from touching her with her being almost naked on top of him, with their hips rather close to each other and her arms around his neck in an embrace. Well, that explains everything. "W-wait Alice, this isn't what it looks like!" Naruto quickly says, waving one hand wildly while the other ends up holding the redhead so she doesn't fall off… Wait no!! That just make it worst!! Looking at his other hand, Naruto's face grimaces as he tries to decide what to do with it. It would make a rather comical sight, and still is to the redhead, if his life probably doesn't depend on it.

"Oh, no worry onii-chan. You are a man after all, so you should do as you please." Alice says as sweetly as she did the last time, somehow making Naruto cringe as she brings a hand to her mouth to cover it. A strange 'ufufufufu' emitting from behind her hand as a dark aura surrounds her while she says, "So please, don't mind me. I'm just a naïve little girl that stumbled upon something that she shouldn't see. I wonder what Penelope-nee-sama would say when I report this to her."

Naruto had long since begun trembling when Alice said naïve. If he doesn't get this misunderstanding out of the way soon…

**Mental Image…**

"_Na~ru~to~~~!" Penelope says as she looms over Naruto, a whip in her hand and a sinister smile on her face. There is only murder within her eyes, and there is no hiding from her. He is doomed, doomed to die as she raises her hand and brings down his death!_

**Mental image break down: Error! Error! Too much horror!!**

"N-NO WAIT! THIS REALLY ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" Naruto yells in fright as he tries to stand up, only to fall back down again with a yelp from the red head who continues to cling to him, first in surprise, but now in fright of being drop. "Um… this is… err… L-let me explain this misunderstanding."

"Explain what onii-chan? I perfectly understand… there is no misunderstanding." Alice says, her aura oozing irritation and annoyance and… jealousy? "Now… don't let me disturb your fun. Continue what you were doing. I'll be… nearby." The girl says, still smiling sweetly as she gently closes the door to the room, leaving a very terrified Naruto who is beginning to sweat coldly.

This is not his day…

"Ara, this is quite troublesome." The red head says as she stands up, still only dressed in bra and panties as she casually walks to the closet and pulls on a white sleeveless shirt and a black, knee length skirt. On the front of her shirt, written in crude letters are the words "Who's your mommy." Turning around, the girl raises an eyebrow at him and says, "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on, let's go save your ass."

"That… THAT'S RIGHT! YOU'RE TAKING RESPONSIBILITY!!" Naruto shouts, his panic induced mind not even registering what is spilling forth. While he doesn't fear Alice per say, he really does hold genuine fear for Penelope. He has first hand experience how she earned the name "Iron Maiden" when he lived in her mansion (and until she died, it will always be HER mansion). "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"

**BONK!**

"Quiet down. No need to panic. I swear you're just like Minato… Wait, no, I should expect that already." The girl says with annoyance as she rubs her fist that has sent Naruto into the ground. The young man has a surprisingly hard skull. Naruto stares up at her in confusion because it probably has to do with this Minato person again. There is a connection between them, and he's not gonna rest until he finds out what other than the similarity they share. Now this makes him recall what she said to him though…

Why would she want to meet him? In fact, how does she even know him?

XXXXXXXXXX

"_That is not peace… it is but a mad man's illusion and the construct of stupidity… Peace cannot be achieved this way." He has said, his blue eyes morphing into yellow ones with horizontal pupils as orange marking surrounds his eyes. With a snort, Uzumaki Naruto lowers into a stance and asks, "What do you know of peace, when all you did was cause pain and suffering?"_

Ah… Why is this one the first memory he sees after waking up…? There really is no answer to this question. Still, pushing it aside for the moment, he focuses on one fact that is… still hard to believe.

As he moves a hand to his eyes, he feels bandages surrounding them. Lightly pressing down, he feels what he wants, or rather, what is lacking there. The usual resistance the eyes offer when pressed against gently is not there.

…So his eyes are really gone… No, his brother's eyes are gone. His were lost a long, long time ago.

When that mad man told him he is taking his eyes, he never took it seriously. But now the promise is proven true. His brother's eyes are gone. The Eternal Sharingans are lost to him, and are instead in the hand of a man who he considers even madder than him; a man that calls himself Hojo.

Putting it aside lest he drives himself into a rage; he spreads out his senses, trying to come about just why he's still alive. He remember somehow escaping through a cold… something, ended up in a room that smells of old papers, and then hearing a scream just after the sound of a door opening. Smelling some sort of herbal mixture coming from somewhere, he decides that it is obvious whoever screamed last time he was conscious took pity on him and healed him… or as much as they can anyway. That broken bone in his arm is… oh wait that is healed. They did a really nice job with this…

Either he is really sleepy, or really disorientated to have missed that. He leans toward the latter. Shinobi don't do sleepy.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, he groans a little at the way his muscles protest, telling him that it's probably a while since they moved, so he was probably out for at least five days. Holding his head a little, he can feel the way the scars marked his face, and he wonders how the people react to the way the left side of his face is disfigured. He wears that mask for a reason other than just to hide his identify.

The sound of the door opening alerts him to someone entering the room he is in. Turning his head just a little, he wonders if he was captured before remembering that it's unlikely, seeing the Kyuubi not only sucked Uzumaki into a portal, it took him with them too except he ended up somewhere else instead. Still, now to get some idea of where he is. "Excuse me… do you mind telling me where I am?"

"…Oh just wonderful. I don't understand him, and he probably doesn't understand me either. For some reason I feel like this is déjà vu… Ugh, where's Alice when you need her. She knows what to do with this… I think." A voice that definitely belongs to a female says, full of irritation as the sound of cloth ruffling can be heard. When something touches him, he flinches away in reflex, his hands already moving towards weapons that weren't there only to realize that it's a hand, and he can now smell new herbal mixtures. How she even gets close to him without making sound on the floor is beyond him. "Hold still. I need to change your bandages."

Feeling something coming undone, he has to wonder just how he missed those too. He must have been really disorientated then, because shinobi just don't do sleepy.

As he feels the bandages pull at dried blood and leaving his irritated skin exposed, he resists the urge to scratch because he'd likely aggravate whatever wound is under it. Ugh, he hates this feeling. That's why he even got that space-time jutsu in the first place. He wonders if his brother is snickering at him somewhere, saying that his big, bad brother is afraid of some pain. He does not; he just hates that irritating feeling of skin healing. (2)

The woman who is changing his bandages lets out a sigh as she applies fresh ointments, the herbal mixture assaulting his senses yet soothing at the same time. He lets out a grunt as her fingers dance across his flesh, and he wonders at the last time he even felt a woman's touch. "I will admit I am curious about your situation, but I will not pry. You will tell me when you're all healed up."

Hmm, what is she saying? It's strange that he's listening to another language because he certainly doesn't have that problem with Hojo. The Sharingans probably isn't the issue, because while they are powerful, he knows their weakness all too well. How else do you think he gets to where he is? "You could at least tell me your name right?"

Again, he does not understand… "Oh, maybe I should of go first? You may call me Penelope. I'm the owner of this mansion that you are currently staying in."

Ah, that sounds like a name; Penelope is it? The other are just mumble jumbos, but Penelope is a name. A name he can do, but what should he introduce himself as? While he doubts anyone knows who he really is, it never hurts to be extra cautious now does it? Hmm, yes, it never hurts…

"I'm Tobi… And Tobi is a good boy." (3)

XXXXXXXXXX

"…Are you talking to me now?" Naruto asks, doing his best attempt at the puppy dog eyes at Alice, who continues to smile sweetly and gives him the cold shoulder treatment. Seeing that it isn't working at all, he instead aims his puppy dog eyes to the red head that has introduced herself as Kushina during the act of leading him toward the kitchen, where a smiling Alice is instructing Larxene and Suigintou on how to prepare dinner. When asked, Kushina just said that her parents are out of town and Alice volunteered. When asked why Larxene and Suigintou are helping, they just shrug and give him this look…

You know a look that either says you screwed up or says you tell me. So far, Naruto believes very well that it's the latter of 'you tell me' aimed at him.

Suffice to say, he is not having any success in mending his relationship with Alice… though he can't say for sure if it's even strained in the first place. In fact… why is Alice so angry in the first place? Nothing happened… honestly.

Still, sighing in dejection, Naruto plops himself on a chair at the dinner table, where an amused Kushina sits munching on a piece of cracker. Seeing this, Naruto sighs again before slamming his head into the wooden surface of the table, wondering just what he has to do in order to pacify Alice while at the same time save himself from future… let's call them 'sessions' with Penelope. The whip may be his imagination, but the woman is the Iron Maiden, and he has unfortunately encountered it and lived to tell the tale… which shall remain untold because just thinking about it sends him into a horror induced spasm (and it requires Kushina chopping him in the head with the knife edge of her hand to get him back).

Thanking her for it, Naruto sets himself into a non-assuming pose, but doing it in such a way that he keeps his eyes upon the red head that not only kicked him, but gave him a show not too long ago. She strikes at something within him that he cannot place or reach. There is just something about her that calls out to his mind, as if there is something about her that makes him remember certain things such as how he doesn't have parents… It is a weird thing really.

"Why do you want to meet me? Actually, how do you even know me?" Naruto asks his voice low so that it only reaches Kushina over the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. The red head turns so one emerald eye comes to rest on him as he slumps back against his chair. "I mean, as far as I know, this is the first time we've met…"

Kushina continues to munch on her cookie, her expression as blank as Naruto's, both seemingly sizing the other up. It would appear to be a staring contest, but for the experts on human body language such as the Hyuuga, it isn't so much as a staring contest, but rather one man asking for some form of answer from someone that knows what he seeks. It isn't anything dramatic, and it isn't anything that will go down in history as some great event or some life-changing discovery.

It is simply the need for Uzumaki Naruto to understand.

With a resolute crunch, Kushina pops the rest of her cookie into her mouth and crushes it into millions of pieces and mush before swallowing it. During it, her expression has morph from blank to a smile that Naruto has seen plenty of in his years as a shinobi. It's the smile of someone who knows something sad, but accepted it for they know that it is what defines them. Propping her chin on a hand while her elbow rests on the table, Kushina's smile widens into a small grin as her eyes narrow softly and she says, "Well… this is something that's really complicated. I personally would prefer if Minato-kun was here to help me explain it. He understands exactly what is happening. Besides, I think he wants to see you too. Just try and refrain from kicking his ass okay?" The last part comes out as a joke, accompanying a beautiful smile that fits Naruto's imagination of what a mother's smile looks like. He'd seen it often times during his academy days when mothers would praise their children with that same beautiful smile, and it is one of his many envies that he hid deep inside him over the years. "Either way, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

Naruto blinks. "A little about myself…?"

"Yeah, you know, likes, dislikes, any dreams. Stuff like that." Kushina says her smile on her face the whole time and eyes, having fully turned her head to regard him now, shine with light of happiness.

Naruto can't find himself rejecting a request coming from that expression, shinobi rules about not revealing himself be damned. Besides, he feels compelled to do as she asks. It's different from Alice's own form of control in that instead of doing it before he realized what he's doing, this is but a suggestion; a little nudge in him that tells him to answer honestly. Oddly enough, he does not find it invasive as opposed to Kyuubi's own persuasion. He just feels the need to do so.

"A little about myself…" Naruto repeats, this time as a statement as he thinks about what to tell her. This is the first time in a while that anyone even asked him to tell them about himself. Alice never did, simply accepting the fact that he is Naruto, and who Naruto is doesn't really concern her (or so she makes it appear). The last time he really sat down and talked about himself was in a little bar on the border of Iwa and Kumo during his training with Jiraiya. It was to a waitress if he remembered correctly. Someone who simply offered to buy him a drink for some reason and sat with him as he went on and on about his life while neglecting any information that can be used about his home. Strangely enough, she never once judged him; only nodding when appropriate and asking some questions that seemingly always tapped into his own emotional view and moral values. The influence of alcohol isn't great, seeing that his metabolism took care of most of it, leaving only enough to make him feel a slight buzz as opposed to the numbness most seem to aim for, though it is still enough to loosen his tongue about himself.

It was about a day after his first kill…

He never did find out what happened to that waitress when news of the town being ransacked by bandits reach Konoha.

"Well, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm… 18 years old I believe, because I haven't been keeping track of my birthday, what with all the stuff I'm doing." Naruto starts off, adding a little chuckle as he remembered that he really doesn't know if he is 17 or 18 at the moment. Those world hops are not good for his time management. "My likes are ramen and to train so that I keep in a fit condition. I also like to learn about new things. My dislikes… well, I can't say I dislike anything. I'm a very accepting person I suppose." Yeah right, Naruto mentally adds, thinking back to all the bullshit he gave to his friends when they start to die off one by one. It changed to survivor's guilt as Ino once said, and he has never come to terms with what others said about it not being his fault. He holds the Kyuubi right? The Akatsuki wants the Kyuubi right? So what isn't his fault?

"Hmm, how about your hobbies, do you have any?" Kushina questions, her smile still on her face, whether ignoring the slight shift of his tone or being oblivious to it, Naruto doesn't know.

"I like pranks. I like to prank people, partially because I love to see how different people react to different pranks." Naruto says, recalling all the various reactions to his many pranks over the years. Civilians often act out with hostility or annoyance at his prank, while the shinobi population mostly take it as a lesson, knowing that if they can be pranked by an academy student, then they can be killed by a ninja. Sandaime usually scolded him before praising him for coming up with some brilliant ways of executing them. Iruka yelled at him before making him clean it all, though it somehow always ended in him being treated to ramen. "There are times when my pranks caused me some nasty problems, but nothing that wasn't fixed by the end of the day." He remembered how one prank accidentally broke the arm of a little girl. He rushed her to the hospital and even paid for her treatment despite his meager allowance. It earned him the gratitude of a worried mother and the approved glance of a Jounin father. There was that time when he and the Konohamaru Corps accidentally set the hot spring on fire, though it did smoke out Jiraiya before it was put out by a Suiton jutsu.

The strangest one would probably be that one when he played a prank on the visiting ambassadors to try and distract himself from his own guilt. It ended with him pranking the Mizukage accidentally, and culminated with him tied to the bed and naked save for a pair of boxer screaming his lungs out as she stared at him with a hungry look. How he got out of that without getting ravaged remained a mystery to everyone, even him. That woman is a little too desperate for her own good.

Though he will admit that she is extremely beautiful, and if Jiraiya was alive, he'd beat the shit out of him for not letting her do as she pleased.

It was also how Konoha gained a very favorable alliance with Mist, but the blonde shinobi is still convinced that she did it just so she had a reason to come more often to Konoha to harass him.

"It's actually good training, pranking I mean." Naruto said as he gains a far-away look while a small smile tugged at his lips. "You'd be surprised how many tricks you can pick up just by learning how to set up a good prank without being caught."

"That's interesting." Kushina replies as her own smile widens a little and her eyes shine brighter. Naruto blinks at that as she leans towards him and says, "You know, that's a nice smile. You have a really beautiful smile."

That is one way to put it…

"Ku-Chan?" A voice drifts in from the living room, and Naruto blinks as Kushina perks up before jumping out of the chair and dashing into the living room with speed that would make ANBU jealous. The sound of two bodies colliding, falling onto the ground and then moaning clues Naruto into just what Kushina and the new arrival is doing. Rolling his eyes while casually tossing a "I'll check it out" to the other three in the kitchen (a curious Alice who has forgotten to be angry, an amused Suigintou who steals a piece of food, and an aloof Larxene that continues to watch over the cooking), Naruto ventures into the living room to break the make out session off when he froze in his track.

He has a head of blonde hair in a strikingly similar style. A build that is eerily similar to his, only lankier and taller as oppose to his stockier build. When the new arrival opens his eyes, blue eyes a shade slightly darker than his shine in happiness before they focus on him and then widens in shock.

Uzumaki Naruto knows who this is, and the new arrival knows who he is too.

How can they not? Father and son never forget each other.

"Well shit… this is a surprise." Namikaze Minato says with a blink, his eyes still widen in surprise while his arms are still looped around Kushina's waist. The red head frowns at the crude language before turning to Naruto, opening her mouth to say something only to close it with an audible click. Minato explains her reaction with, "Now, now… is there really a need for that maniac grin on your face…? So um… could you please not grin like that? It's creepy…"

Naruto just nods, his face nearly splitting in half by the crazed grin on his face. His eyes shine with an unholy zeal in them while his hands twitch in anticipation. He is vaguely aware of the dark chuckles forming in his throat, and he wonders at the strange desire to do something in his chest. The Kyuubi is stirring within him either from anger or sharing some of his twisted excitement, Naruto isn't sure. What he is sure of is this: he isn't angry. He isn't angry, no, far from angry. In fact, he is ecstatic because here is someone who he admired, adored, and hated at the same time. Here is the person who is partially responsible for all the crap that happened in his life, and he promised himself that he would kick the ass of this 'Minato' person. So when it turns out that this 'Minato' happens to be Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime of Konoha…

Some explanation is in order here.

"Onii-chan? What is taking so… on dear, this could be trouble. Larxene-san, Suigintou-san, we might have a situation out here…"

But first, Naruto believes he has an ass kicking to give out…

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Author's Corner:

Eh… I have to say, this probably isn't my best work. Not the worst I can assure you, because my worst is horrible, but it certainly is not the best I can do with it. However, it is the BEST I can do with THIS chapter. For some reason, it just doesn't flow as smoothly as some of the others. Maybe it's because I lack experience when it comes to certain things, but other than that, I cannot for the life of me see what I can do to make it any better than it already is. Maybe I'm trying to hard? Either way, if it's still to your liking, then we have no problem. If not, said so in your review and WHY so I can try and fix it in the upcoming chapters. I make no guarantee that something like this won't appear again.

As for Madara's appearance… let's just say it's crucial for what I have in mind. He will play a role in the story, but surprise of surprise, he won't be a villain. Nope, not in this one he won't.

Next up, for those who suspected or actually guessed the place where Naruto and Co landed in, congratulation to you. For those who didn't, it is Destiny Island. I actually right out said it in the beginning of chapter 13. For those that caught it, pat yourself on the back and for the rest who didn't, just laugh until you are silly for missing it. It is a worthy mistake to be laughed at because I personally find it funny. I would probably make the same mistake too.

Well, here are some things I feel I should explain:

1) If you think of Powerpuff Girl Him, I don't blame you. But rest assure, it isn't haha!

2) Healing itches and it's annoying because you scratch it unless you want to possibly make your injury worst. Why do you think people hated casts so much? It's because (according to those I knew that broke their bones because I never did) their broken parts itches, but they can't scratch it. Ugh!

3) There you have it, the mysterious person who dropped in, bleeding and practically dying at Penelope's feet. For those that at least suspects it, give yourself a big round of applause. As for why he's so calm? He is disorientated (because shinobi don't do sleepy). So expect Uchiha Emo Syndrome eventually.

Next chapter I'll probably just write. No thinking, no plotting, no scheming, just write while taking care to not make something happen that derails it.

So until then, enjoys.

APH, SIGNING OFF!!!


	18. Chapter 18

Right, there is no excuse for such a late update. I procrastinated, and that's the end of it. It has nothing to do with school and life or what not. I deal with them easily enough (and personally, I'm not sure if I should be happy that I don't get enough drama in my life).

Then of course, I also has to rewrite several times to get what I'm hoping for, but it appears that I'll have to toss certain things out while keep others. You will know what I mean I think.

As such, I should stop annoying you with this useless author header and simply get on with the damn story.

By the way, I injured one of my fingers, so I'm essentially only typing with seven instead of the usual eight (and trust me, it can be very annoying, especially consider that it's my pointing finger, the one between me thumb and middle). So if there are places that spell funny and I missed it, do forgive me.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except for the out-of-the-mind idea that seems to work. The materials (other than the plot) belong to their respective creators, and so shall it remain until they do something either extremely stupid (sell it to some idiot), or really smart (sell it to a maniac)… the maniac part is a joke by the way.

Beta by: Soul Nin

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**Destiny Island… Naruto…**

Fate is, for a lack of a better term as well as description, a bitch.

That's probably why Neji used to like bitching about it so much, but he isn't going to bitch like he did. No, Uzumaki Naruto will not bitch about the hand Fate decided to deal him, because if there really is an entity that controls everything's fate, then he will find it, and he'll kick its ass one way or another.

It is wishful thinking, and he admits it is weak of him to even think of Fate at a moment like this! Destiny is one thing (because he believes in destiny), but Fate is utter bullshit in his opinion.

He of course cannot help but recall something Yen Sid said to him with all the seriousness he possesses: "_There is no coincidence boy. Everything happens for a reason. You will do well to remember it._"

**_Do not be shocked, for certain things happen for a reason._** _Just then, the fox glowed before she starts to shrink, and in her place is a woman in a somewhat torn kimono, long red hair in nine braids, and cat-like eyes that glare at him while her full lips are currently in a pout. In fact, she is the exact copy of the woman depicted by the stained glass platform…_ **_Now to formerly meet she who shields you from death, Kyuubi._**

It's just like that time with the strange dream-slash-reality, but that doesn't mean he has to like it.

But on the contrary, he actually likes this particular event rather well.

You see, just how many people get to claim that they met their resurrected dead father (or reincarnated whatever it is) and then kick his ass? Somehow, at this moment, he can't help but recall that punch he dealt Minato all that time ago within the seal when he went Eight-Tailed and nearing on nine.

It isn't quite enough.

Now he stands corrected on a previous statement: Fate is a bitch, but Payback is the Mother of all bitches!

"You really should stop grinning like that…" Minato murmured nervously, and Naruto can understand why. Hell, he'd probably be disturbed by his own grin should he see it in a mirror. Too bad he doesn't particularly care at this tender reunion.

He can hear a certain kitsune shouting and yelling for him to do something, and for once, he can agree with her rather readily.

The question remains: What to do?

Let's start with some senseless violence. However, a little voice within his head that sounds oddly reminiscent of Alice scolds him for such childish behavior.

So how about a method like diplomatic conversation? Someone that sounds like Tsunade shouts at him about politics and whatnot.

Then let's try… Okay, he's got nothing.

Winging it appeared to be the best option. "Hello. When do I get to kick your ass?" Hmm… that sounded like a good start.

Everyone in the room blinked at the question, but Naruto didn't mind. That was his honest opinion, and after all, he did make a promise to kick Minato's ass for accidentally setting the red head on him.

Then what happened next could be best described as chaos.

Just as his foot crushed the floor board where Minato's head was a second ago, Naruto caught a blur of moment from the corner of his right eye, and then he's flying through the front entrance of the house.

As he rolls with the momentum and comes to a stop in a crouched position, Naruto's head twitches to the side as he avoids the knee that would have definitely crushed his nose. His hands shoot up, trying to lock the leg into place, but he couldn't manage too as the blur then disappeared once more. The only warning he had was a small breeze at the back of his neck before a leg smashes into the back of his head, sending him skidding down the street.

When he gets back up, his grin only widens in excitement, because THIS is what he has been looking for. THIS is what a shinobi battle is.

Then they are dashing through the street and then onto the beach that he had arrived on. Sand flew, and fists and kicks are exchanged, and grunts and groans accompany the sound of flesh striking flesh.

Forget any academic lessons from the Ninja Academy, because in the heat of battle, there really isn't such a thing as think things through; not at such a pace. In the pace they are going, all there is is pure instinct and muscle memory. Against the Yellow Flash of Konoha, that is all Naruto needs to know, yet at the same time that is all he can do. The speed Minato displays is incredible, and he isn't even using his most prized technique; the one that won the Third Great War for them.

But of course, Naruto isn't using Sage Mode either.

With his ability to take and dish out damage and Minato's speed and agility, Naruto would grudgingly say that they were evenly matched.

In a few short seconds, Naruto could easily grasp Minato's taijutsu style. A quick jab to the stomach; a feint then hook to his kidney; a kick to the knee joint; a punch to the jaw; Minato aims for where it hurts. The blonde Jinchuuriki quickly adapts to it as best as he can, and fights back.

Of course Minato is the Fourth Hokage for a reason, for he also adapts to Naruto's fighting style near instantly.

There aren't any fancy techniques. There aren't any awe-inspiring ninjutsu or jaw-dropping taijutsu. There isn't any time for genjutsu or any use for kenjutsu.

It is simply a pure and unedited slug fest between two people who seems to have something to work out judging by the ferocity with which they attack each other.

It isn't some battle between two high ranked shinobi with the fate of their village hanging in the balance.

It isn't some match that determines whether they receive promotion or not.

It isn't some show put on for the benefit of the clients or the entertainment of the Daimyos.

It is a slug fest.

Pure and fucking simple!

And Uzumaki Naruto loves EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF IT!

"IS THAT ALL YOU CAN DO OLD MAN?" Naruto screams as he shrugs off a straight punch to the face and in returns deals a punishing blow to Minato's stomach.

The other blonde flinches a bit before using his superior speed to dart into Naruto's defense once more and deal out a quick 1-2-3-punch-punch-kick combo. "FAR FROM IT YOU BRAT!"

Sometime in their senseless violence, Naruto is vaguely aware of the arrival of not just his traveling companion, but also his hostess (that would most likely kick his ass later for the crater in her house) and several bystanders attracted here by the disturbance. He is only slightly aware of how Alice is shouting for them to stop fighting while Kushina rants and curses at them both for delaying dinner. He is slightly sure that Suigintou and Larxene have exchanged munny to see who would win in this simple, undiluted slug fest.

Whatever, he doesn't care. Not when he is having so much excitement.

"You're getting RUSTY!"

"You're still wet behind the ears!"

"YOUR PUNCH'S TICKLE!"

"YOUR'S CAN'T HIT SHIT!"

Man, who would have thought this would happen.

But really, who cares? Well, he certainly doesn't give a damn.

XXXXXXXXXX

Alice has long since given up on calming the two down. If after ten minutes of shouting and pleading they're still at it, then it's best to take the hint that they won't stop until one of them drops.

Or until Kushina decides that enough is enough and jumps in. Why would Alice think that?

Her answer is simple: Naruto, kick, lights out.

Rather, Alice decides to sit on one of the many benches on the beach and pout as her eyes try and fail to follow the event going on in front of her. There isn't a doubt in her mind that her onii-chan would come out battered and bruised, and she won't be happy with it at all. In fact, she won't do a thing for his injuries.

It still annoys her that she simply doesn't understand why Naruto started this whole mess. Kushina seems to, because she has this strange smile on her face that is somewhat bittersweet. Suigintou only tilts her head when Alice asks, and offers her this strange little smile. Unlike Kushina's though, Alice can't discern what it entails.

As for the Savage Nymph Larxene: "He should just finish him off. Naruto has dragged this one a little too long. I'm hungry, I'm cold, and I'm tired. I want to eat, I want to sleep, and if he isn't finished in the next five minutes, I'm going to kick their asses then go to sleep. Forget food!"

Well, that pretty much sums up what the blonde Nobody is thinking.

"I think this has gone on long enough." Alice meekly says as she fidgets with her hands, hoping that her intention is made clear to the only person who seems able to stop this: Kushina. The red head raises an eyebrow before she chuckles in amusement. "I don't see how this is amusing… As far as I'm concerned this is rather redundant."

"It's a man thing." Kushina replies and chuckles at Alice's exasperated look. It is also at that moment that she casually tilts her head to the side just as one of the blonde males fly past her with the other following not far behind. "Besides, It'll be cruel if I don't allow them a little time to get over whatever pent up issues they have first."

"Didn't they just meet today?" Alice asks her tone still as exasperated as before as she dares peer over her shoulders, only to wince before quickly return her full attention to the red head. "I don't see what possible… issues they may have with each other. Besides, if this is due to some simple issue, I hate to see what they'll be like on a full on fight…"

"Ooh, I'd like to see that." Suigintou says and grins at the chagrined look from Alice. "What? You can't say that you're not interested!"

"I'm not. And if I have any say in it, it will never happen."

"…You're no fun at all, girly." The doll mumbles with a shrug. "I think you're too uptight. Loosen up a little and enjoy such wondrous entertainment, yes?"

"Entertainment? This is senseless violence! (1) And I really do think it has gone on long enough!" Alice yells the last part and roughly shoves Suigintou into Kushina's arms before promptly marching towards the chaos that is Naruto and his look-alike. She succeeds in getting within four feet of it before Naruto roughly grabs her by the back of her shirt and hurls her into Larxene. "W-WAH?"

"Sorry Alice, but stay out of the way! OOF! THAT WAS A CHEAP SHOT OLD MAN!"

Alice blinks a few times before she roughly dislodges herself from Larxene and shouts, "ONII-CHAN NO BAKA! I DARE YOU TO THROW ME AGAIN!" Of course, the girl has enough wit in her pouting rage to not charge into the fury of fists and kicks. Larxene only laughs as cheerfully as she can at Alice's situation, finding it rather amusing. Suigintou though isn't as amused as the others, and she makes it known by pinching Alice's arm when she floats back into her embrace. "O-ow… I'm sorry."

"You better be. Nobody tosses me around." Suigintou says, and Alice is tempted to add 'except my sisters' for her, but not knowing where that notion came from, the Princess discards it before focusing her attention back onto the fighting duo. She really does not understand just why they are doing this. "I'd say it's about to wind down in a few minutes."

"Huh?" Is Alice's rather intelligent reply at Suigintou's sudden interjection about the impromptu fist fight. The doll only smirks in a particular way, and it is Larxene that answers.

"If my experiences about men's behavior serves me well, then dolly would be right." The Twelfth Greater Nobody says casually, and dodges the single black feather with equal amount of effort before continuing. "They need to get the excess energy out of their bodies first before they can talk properly. It's one of those guy things. They are more prone to violence than women after all. It's a proven fact." (2)

"There are of course other ways to wind them down, but I don't think it's appropriate for the… current situation." Suigintou says teasingly and her smirk only grows as Alice's face tints red. It is a known fact that Alice understands what is required to make children. It is part of her upbringing, and Penelope seemed to find it necessary to expose her to the knowledge after her eleventh birthday.

Let it be known that Alice Pleasance Liddell will forever lock the day after her eleventh birthday in the darkest pit of her mind. It was informative, but also rather… well, let's just leave it unsaid.

"Should I be worried that she understands what you're implying?" A blushing Kushina asks, and the Princess of Hearts could have sworn she saw the red head wipe some red liquid from the bottom of her nose. "I mean she's what; twelve, thirteen; barely going on fourteen?"

That is a legit question, and just as she is about to answer, Alice is beaten by her two female traveling companion. "She's fine. Don't worry about."

Poor Kushina can only nod dumbly at the stereo answer from Suigintou and Larxene, though Alice hopes to comfort the red head with a small smile. It seems to work, because Kushina visibly relaxed a tad.

"Well, as much fun as it is to see two guys beat each other up –and trust me, I've had enough of that from my associates- I am going back for some food… Didn't we leave something on the stove?" Larxene states before asking, and upon seeing Alice's shrug, the woman left while shaking her head. Alice did leave a dish to simmer on low fire, but whether or not the food is still edible is unknown.

"Oh good, they're done." Suigintou's casual comment snaps Alice out of her food-induced trance just in time to see the two males punch each other one last time in the face. Then they gracefully –note the heavy sarcasm- crumble into each other. It reminds Alice of that strange message the Cheshire Cat gave her, but then that is also quickly discarded. Naruto's look-alike certainly isn't a Keybearer. "Girl, what are you waiting for? Go collect your man already!"

Cue the blushing cheeks and pouting lips as well as a not-so-fierce glare. "He is my onii-chan, not my man!"

"Ah, but your onii-chan happens to be a man… yes? And you love him very much… yes?"

"…You… You… UGH!"

Suigintou: 1, Alice: 0.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Naruto lies next to his panting father, he couldn't keep the shit-eating grin off his face.

There simply isn't a reason why he shouldn't smile is all. Besides, it was a very satisfying experience over all, and Naruto would honestly say that he hopes for a repeat.

He is vaguely aware of someone trying to gain his attention, and he would hazard a guess that someone is Alice. He has taken a little too much punishment to his head, and while he dealt out an equal amount of damage (hopefully), being on the receiving end of what could possibly be a concussion is never fun. When a worried face pops into his vision, Naruto can only grin idiotically at Alice, whose worried expression then morphs into annoyance. She is still saying something, and while there is this insistent ringing within his ears, Naruto thinks she is saying, "I find this course of action to be rather pointless."

Well, to Alice it may be pointless. To him it is a chance to let out all that pent-up aggression he held for the Yondaime of Konohagakure. (3)

Now if he can just figure out what the red head is trying to say… It is probably along the line of calling them idiots with amusement or something. Her grin isn't exactly a reproachful one.

"Baka Ningen how's your tiny brain?"

Oh, for the love of all the things that has to be the first clear thing he hears at the moment… "Kuso Ningyou, you're heavy, get off."

Suigintou's purple eyes shine in amusement as she leans forward, her hands planted on his chest and she says, "Forgive me for my skepticism in regards to your comment. However, I will forever remain the same weight, and I'll have you know, I am not heavy. Ask the girl. As to my question, should I or should I not expect more stupidity out of you?"

Naruto groans as he feels more than sees Alice hold up his head only to settle it onto her lap. Whenever did she get there, Naruto doesn't bother questioning it. The ringing in his ears and the black spots within his vision don't allow a lot of mental processing to be done. "Shut up. I'll turn you into firewood…"

"Oh good! You're the same baka!" The doll says entirely too cheerful, though Naruto is somewhat grateful to her. It beats Alice's attempts to mother him. Penelope would have a better chance in doing that. "Oh stop fretting girl, he won't die."

Naruto finally notices that Alice has been probing and poking at his bruises here and there to try and determine if he's showing any reaction. That explains the stinging. It's probably because Alice is worrying more because he isn't exactly reacting to these pokes. "Hey Alice, can you stop poking them please?"

"Onii-chan! You scared me when you didn't respond! Would you please be a little more considerate for your own condition?" The girl worried and Naruto chuckles before turning his head to the side to see their hostess rather effortlessly pull his father into a fireman carry. It's a little amusing to see his dead weight father flapping here and there on a girl's shoulder like that. It brings him the satisfaction in knowing that he managed to knock some sense into him if only temporarily. "Oh, and Kushina-san says that she'll come back for you after she puts Minato-san back into the house."

"Oh… By the way, what time is it?" Naruto asks as the ringing gets to be on a more manageable level and his vision begins to slowly clear. It pays sometimes to have Kyuubi in your stomach. It'll suck to be Minato in the morning.

"Dinner time." Suigintou answers simply, now resting her body entirely upon his torso while kicking her legs, her elbow propping her hands up which support her chin. It makes an interesting image. "If you want the official time, it's probably close to midnight on this world. The moon is rather high up, and you didn't exactly wake up at the most appropriate time." The First Maiden then hums a little as she tilts her head in thought. Naruto blinks up at Alice, who raises an eyebrow in return at his non-functioning thought process. Just as he is about to ask if they can get Larxene to carry him back, Suigintou says, "You know, we should be heading back. Can you stand Baka Ningen?"

Oh right, now his pride is in question… damn it. "Sure… hold on." Naruto says as he waves Suigintou off of him. The doll smirks in that I'm-going-to-cause-you-trouble-and-you-know-it way as she folds her arm across her chest. The blonde shinobi sighs as he readies himself.

'Okay, let's see… turn sideways, one hand for support, one leg for the needed push.' Then up! "…See? I'm just…! I don't suppose someone can catch me?"

"Nya?" Alice is not exactly a happy princess at that moment. "O-Onii-chan… You're heavy~~~!"

XXXXXXXXXX

They never did find the energy to eat dinner, or at the very least Naruto and Minato never did. The best way to describe them after that little tussle would be "dead on their feet." It also didn't quite help the matter when Larxene finished a third of their food claiming to be starving. Alice didn't mind, and Kushina certainly found it amusing. Suigintou though was a little offended.

That was several hours ago.

And an hour before, Naruto woke up from his sleep feeling better than ever (or as good as he felt in that week), and then proceeded to get his head chewed on by Alice.

What fun!

So as Kushina hums to herself making breakfast for her guests, she tallies up the current rooming arrangement. She feels kind of bad having them cram into her room and the guest room while she took over the master bedroom (AKA her parent's room). Her room isn't exactly big, just enough to fit Alice and Larxene in snuggly with the former taking the bed and the latter taking a sleeping bag dug up from their attic. Naruto finds himself waking up in the guest room this time, saving him from potentially flashing of yours truly (again). The mysterious doll Suigintou oddly enough chooses to room with her son instead of getting together with the ladies. When asked, she just says something about needing to be sure the 'Baka Ningen' doesn't suffocate himself in his stupidity.

Heh, like she doesn't know what Suigintou is trying to do! Is it really that hard to say that she is even the least bit worried?

Apparently a lot, since the doll's pride is as visible as an elephant flying in the sky.

And probably is the size of said elephant.

It's almost cute if it wasn't for the fact that she's a little overprotective at the moment in regards to Naruto despite knowing for a fact that he probably doesn't even know exactly who she is. All he knows is that she is Kushina, the Hostess and nothing more. Alice never told him her last name for some reason and he never bothered asking. The most interaction they had was the accidental flashing and the talk last night before Minato showed up, and that little impromptu tussle started.

That tiny amount was not enough to satisfy her building maternal instinct.

By the gods she is going to coddle him for at least a day, and she'll start with this breakfast of bacons and eggs. Then they're going to the nearest ramen restaurant to eat them out of business if at all possible.

And they will do that with or without Minato. Kushina justified this by convincing herself that she is a little mad at him for what he'd done, or how little she could remember of it. There is just something about Naruto that she knows Minato screwed up on, but feels that she is equally guilty.

It also keeps her calm from over reacting to Naruto pummeling Minato into the ground despite him taking an equal amount of beating. Then again, Kushina feels that fight to be inevitable for reasons unknown, but she isn't complaining. Let's just chalk it up to woman's intuition.

"The eggs are burning."

"EEH?" Kushina yelps as she rescues the partially burned egg and sighs in dejection. Turning around, she finds Larxene standing casually behind her, hips cocked to the side and one hand resting on it. The other hand is currently holding a piece of half eaten toast that was probably stolen from the mountainous pile on the table. "It would help if you simply rescued it before telling me you know?"

"Can't. I was busy with my toast." Larxene replies with a smirk that irks Kushina in the wrong way, but the red head lets it slide. It's probably just how the woman is. "Now what do you plan to do with all this food? I don't see a private army anywhere, so who's it for?"

A twitch is the only indication that Kushina finds Larxene's half-teasing, half-sarcastic remark annoying. "They're for Naruto…"

"Hmm… talk about feeding a growing boy."

"Alright, spill it. What's the problem?" Kushina snaps, crossing her arms under her breasts as she stares at the older blonde.

"I want to know why the sudden interest in him." Larxene answers immediately, her tone neutral and her posture remaining the same casual stance. However, Kushina can detect a sort of protectiveness emanating from the blonde's action, as if she needs to know her intention so that Naruto wouldn't be harmed directly or indirectly. It causes Kushina to blink while biting her lip to keep from laughing at the irony of it all.

"Alright, but first answer me this," The red head pauses for dramatic effect, "how long have you known him?"

"That is for me to know and for you to worry about."

"That means that you haven't known him for very long."

"I'm not answering that."

A glaring match actually starts over this little argument, and Kushina mentally berates herself upon such… strange behavior. "Does it have something to do with the fact that you feel… attached to him despite only just knowing him for a short time?"

"Possibly." A shrug accompanies the short answer, leaving Kushina little to nothing to work with. Of course when Larxene didn't deny it also left Kushina with plenty to ask.

"…Well, since you're here anyway, come help me make some breakfast."

The resulting fire on the stove quickly have Kushina banning Larxene from the stove, much to the Nobody's embarrassment as well as relief. There was a reason why the Organization didn't let her cook.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Radiant Garden…**

Operation: Get-Leon-to-Spill-about-Naruto has not been going well. So far Sora had tried every trick he knew short of tying the man down and threatening to toss him to his Fan Club to get the desired information out of him. Riku isn't having much luck either, seeing as despite his traveling through darkness for some time, he never did learn how to extract information. He left that to Ansem (or DiZ as he is called when covering in his wrappings) seeing as the man seems particularly interested in venting his frustration through… misplaced aggression.

Let us not even bother with Kairi. Sweet Kairi can never really hurt anyone (except Heartless), so all her threats to Leon are empty ones.

They did manage to get SOMETHING, but most of it was rather useless.

For example… they know the person responsible for Alice's disappearance is blonde. They also know that he is well over six feet, an impressive height in the teenager's mind (though not the biggest).

They learned that this person is SORT OF like Cloud in the whole blonde-and-blue-eyed look with spiked hair style, except it's not as much as a chocobo but more of an urchin. And just so that people know, Sora and Riku laughed their guts out when they finally learned of Cloud's bird-related nickname, much to the man's displeasure and Kairi's amusement.

All of these facts are learned through blood (Leon beating Sora and Riku into the floor) and sweat (Kairi sweating bullets at the way Leon glares at her in annoyance).

Overall, the operation is a failure, and Kairi can only bemoan that fact as she stuffs another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

Yuffie may have spilled the beans on the fact that they know who is responsible for Alice's disappearance, but Leon is keeping everything else rather tight lipped. What he gave them so far is rather useless, because no matter how these descriptions of their criminal may be, the chance of actually finding the right guy is rather slim. The Princess of Hearts also does not like the notion of searching the entire galaxy for this dude.

Besides, the fact that nobody besides her boys seem worried sort of dampened her urge to go and find Alice. It also doesn't really help her resolve when Yuffie only grins largely when asked if she could give out more information. When Aerith of all people simply tells her not to stress over it, Kairi finds a lacking of any and all motivation to go and search for the missing Princess of Hearts.

Nothing seems to be happening after all. No worlds are vanishing into Darkness. The Heartless and Nobodies are all keeping themselves as much out of troubles as they can, leaving only the occasional skirmishes. The other Princesses are all happily living their lives, and that only serves to remind Kairi of her promise visit to Belle sometime within the near future.

The only reason why Kairi is here, stuffing herself with ice cream while worrying over it is because of that very, VERY strange dream she had. The fact that all of the descriptions of Naruto given so far just happen to match that strange guy within her dream make her wary. Naminé's amusement of her situation also only serves to annoy Kairi further. The Princess knows for a fact that her Nobody knows something. How she came upon that piece of information and WHAT the Memory Witch knows is all being kept in the dark. Regardless, Kairi still finds it troubling that she knows what this Naruto person looks like without ever meeting the guy.

And of course, there is this gut feeling that Alice will find her situation most amusing when the Kairi and the youngest Princess finally reunite.

"Brooding again?"

"I'm not brooding." Kairi pouts over her spoon as she glares at Yuffie. The self-proclaimed greatest ninja just shrugs it off before grabbing a spoon and hijacking Kairi's vanilla ice cream carton. "Hey! Get your own!"

"Didn't your mother teach you to share?" Yuffie responds as she plunges her spoon into the ice cream, scoop out a healthy helping, and popping it into her mouth. "Mm, vanilla."

With a huff, Kairi snatches back her ice cream before helping herself to some more, while asking, "So what are you doing here?"

"You don't seem happy to see me here…" Yuffie deadpans before she steals the ice cream once more. "As to your question, I'm just taking a break from work."

"You mean hiding from Leon." The ice cream once more changes hands.

"Whichever one works for you." The ninja replies with a shrug before the ice cream is securely returned in her hand. "Still, it makes me wonder how long you guys will try to pester Leon about Naruto."

Kairi pauses from another attempt to regain her ice cream as she tilts her head in thought. The Princess then folds her arms as her brow scrunches up in annoyance, saying, "I don't know. So far nothing we learned is any help at all. Besides, you guys don't seemed worry that Alice isn't back in her world."

"Speaking of, have you guys visited her world?"

Kairi only responds with a look of "What do you think" to the self-proclaimed super ninja. Yuffie again shrugs off the look. "Then I suppose what Leon is telling you all what you already know."

"…About that… Penelope –Alice's sister that is- never really told us anything… In fact," Kairi sudden perks up as she remembers a particular fact that has eluded her until now. "Penelope doesn't seem worried at all! If anything, she's more angry than worried… That isn't helping me see this Naruto guy as the bad guy here you know?" (4)

"I can understand your point of view, but your boys don't seem to share your thoughts."

"They can be dense." Kairi mumbled before making a grab for the ice cream one final time. "They're good boys and all, but sometimes I wonder if I hit them too many times in the head when we were kids…"

"Heh, really now…" Yuffie's expression morphs into a sly look, one which Kairi quickly kills off with a glare –one that actually works this time. Yuffie in response holds up her hands in a defensive position and says, "Alright, I get it. No need to get so worked up over it…" When Kairi's glare changes to a somewhat smug look, Yuffie can only shake her head. According to the files collected by Ansem before he went missing, Kairi is the feistiest of the seven, and apparently he's right. "Still, how long do you think Sora and Riku can keep it up before they give up?"

"I give them one more day…." Kairi says around a spoonful of her delightful treat. The brunette next to her sniggers while folding her hands behind her head. Just then something hits Kairi like a ton of bricks, making her blurt out, "Oh no… I completely forgot school!"

"Eh?"

"School! I can't believe we forgotten about school! The teachers will butcher us!" Kairi shouts in a panic, her dessert forgotten on the side as the red head runs around in fear. "Kushina-sempai will slaughter me for leaving the tennis team so suddenly!" At the end, the shout has progressed into more of a squeak. Yuffie has to hide a wince at the sheer atrocity of it, which only serves to make the ninja very aware of the terror behind Kairi's voice.

"I think you should relax." Yuffie says with a laugh, more of trying to calm her own nerve than to sooth Kairi's. She doesn't know who this Kushina is, but for someone like Kairi who easily marches into a Corridor of Darkness to be scared of her, Yuffie has a gut feeling that she doesn't want to piss her off. Scratch that; keep this person away from her for Yuffie loves her life. "Besides, isn't it summer in your world?"

"…Summer school?" This comes out as a squeak, but not as shrill as before.

"…Oh." This comes out as a grimace. "Well… I think you should stick to the plan of one more day. You never know."

"…I guess…" Whatever Kairi will say is forgotten as Leon's voice drifts into the room. The princess blinks her eyes to the entrance just in time to see Leon walking in with Sora and Riku hanging on his every word. It seems they'd gotten something out of him. It is probably something useless again.

"An overall nice man…" Leon says with a shrug just as his eyes suddenly latch onto Yuffie's form. Kairi can literally feel the feeling of dread building up from the brunette next to her, and if Leon's upturn of his lips is any indication… "Who Yuffie seems to have her eyes on…" Ah yes, that's… unexpected. Another unexpected thing is just when Yuffie hauled a couch above her head, looking just about ready to throw it at Leon. 'Don't throw the couch Yuffie." (5)

The cough still flew… with an impressive speed the Princess of Hearts might add. Kairi absentmindedly wonder just how much scolding Aerith would be dishing out today.

XXXXXXXXXX

Off in another room, Aerith sudden sneezes just as she finishes setting a glass of ice tea next to Sid. The flower girl blinks while rubbing her nose before glancing in a particular direction, which just happens to be where Leon and company are at. Sid only takes one look at her expression and asks, "Kids?"

"…Excuse me: I think there are some ears I need to chew up." The green eyed brunette says cheerfully, a little too cheerful as Sid winced in sympathy. The girl hugs the tray she used to bring the refreshment in to her chest and bounces out of the room. Once again Sid has to wince at the warning bell ringing in his head. Whoever it is that caused the cheerful Aerith to be like this, he hopes that there'll be enough pieces left to put in a box.

Oh well, not his problem. Now where are his cookies…? Damn Gullwings!

XXXXXXXXXX

**Destiny Island, Naruto's mindscape/Heart…**

Kyuubi purrs.

She doesn't know why she's so content at this particular moment. It might have something to do with the fact that Naruto managed to deal some heavy beating to that annoyance Minato (despite receiving an equally heavy beating back). Of course it only gives her the satisfaction in knowing that Naruto is at the very least on equal footing with the man who defeated her so soundly while tearing her into two parts.

It also makes her a little curious about her other half. You see, that part contains MOST of her manners and "niceties" despite it being her Ying and her being the Yang. Then again, Yang is usually related as the physical aspect while Ying the mental. Kind of like chakra really… Oh well, not like it matters at the moment. The nagging in the back of her mind is probably something to tell her that her Ying is still there, but she doesn't know where, nor does she really care.

Still, the situation Naruto is in is rather amusing. She can't for her own tails' sake figure out how or why this happens. It just did, and now Naruto will have to deal with it. Knowing her host, he'll go in head first, hoping any obstacles in his way will give way to him before his head give first. Of course, more accurately it should be say before Kyuubi lets his head give first. Still, this is... amusing.

Now… let's see how difference this Tomato is… (6)

XXXXXXXXXX

**Wonderland…**

He runs and he runs and he runs. Running isn't a stranger to him, but usually he doesn't run like this. His instincts tell him to run, and like all the inhabitants of his mad world, he dares not stay near her!

Where is Alice when you need her? Actually, what can Alice do in this situation? Talk some sense into this… this… whatever the hell this is!

Nobody knows. Of course, nobody at first believes that they need Alice at all. Oh sure, she may have helped in their creation, but she created the Queen of Hearts as well, and look what that got her. But oddly enough, when this person first appears, the first person that pops into everyone's head is sweet, innocent Alice Pleasance Liddell. Many times he has question his choice, but many times he can only stun himself by keep wishing that she is there!

Still, since she isn't there, all he can do is run, and run, and run, and run, and run!

He must run! It isn't even because the Jabberwocky (whom was also created by Alice, God bless her soul for she really is too creative for her own maddening good). Actually, even the Jabberwocky ran!

The Jabberwocky, running away with its tail between its legs! He used to think that when that happened, hell will freeze over (or the sky will rain carrots). Well, Hell apparently is still blazing and the sky is clear and sunny, but regardless of that fact, the Jabberwocky ran!

So he ran too.

Everybody ran.

They may all be mad, but survival instincts trump madness any day of the week!

"Ah! There we go!" A hand darts out and snatches his coat in mid jump, hauling him up and to eye level with the person he is running from. Seeing a pair of lazy yellow cat-like eyes peering into him with a soft and lazy grin stretching her lips, he somehow can't help but feel that this is the most terrifying sight he'd ever seen. Odd how such a disarming expression can cause such terror within him, but his instincts scream at him to pray that the smile never leaves! "Why are you in such a hurry dear little rabbit? I only wish to know a few things are all, so there isn't a need to run now is there?"

"I-I-I-I don't know a-anything!" He squeaks out, his teeth clashing continuously in fear as one fine black eyebrow rises up a notch. He gulps, and continues, "You d-don't belong here. Leave t-this place i-i-immediately… please."

"Hmm… Don't worry, I will. In fact, you don't even have to fear me at all! I'm not going to harm anyone here. You have my words in that." She says, her lips turning from the lazy smile to a small grin that exposes straight, white teeth. It also exposes two particular sharp canines that, if you will forgive his manner, almost made him soil himself. "Now, like I said, all I wish for is some knowledge."

It probably wouldn't matter if he did tell her or not. If she does keep her word, which really means nothing seeing as how he doesn't even know who she is, there is no guarantee that she'll never return. Besides, what could she possibly want from someone like him? As he voices that thought to her in the same terrified and stuttering tone, she just giggles. "Silly rabbit, of course you can help me. You can lead me to Alice after all!"

The thought of sweet, innocent Alice within the mercy of this… this woman (and he uses that term extremely loosely here) sends a chill down his spine, but it also brings up a courage he doesn't know he has. "What do you want with Alice? I swear on the fur of my tail if you harm her…!"

"Oh, no, no dear little rabbit. It's not her I want. It's who she is with that I'm interested in! You see, I couldn't care less about your precious princess. I really just want to know how… things turned out given my really interesting situation." The woman giggles merrily, completely discarding the threat as well as any and all thoughts of her possibly harming dear, sweet Alice Pleasance Liddell. "Of course, it never hurts to see the little girl that has such influence on him too from what little I managed to gain through our barely existing link, but that is beside the point. What I want is for you to guide me to them. That is all I asked for watch-carrying rabbit."

Just as he is about to refuse, the woman simply switches from manhandling him to cuddling him to her bosoms while merrily walking towards the forest, a nameless hum on her lips. He knows why she is heading that way. That forest after all has no boundary. It's a really spectacular creation of dear little Alice and she doesn't even know it!

After all, if it has no boundary, it can go anywhere. As in: ANYWHERE! It is as a certain cat that is never around likes to say: just keep walking, you'll get somewhere eventually! How else did you think Alice wound up going to places within Wonderlands without a hint of an idea where she is going? And just so you know, Wonderland is not a small place.

However, if this woman knows what it is though…

Oh dear… the future doesn't look so bright. Not at all!

Now if he can just stop staring at those six strange whisker-like marks on her face, then maybe he can figure out a way to delay or even stop her plan!

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note (Corner):

Again, there is no excuse for this delay. I would try to chalk this up to writer's block, but in the end it's just procrastination. Now that this little part is out of the way…

**WARNING! SPOILER!**

For those keeping track of the Naruto manga, I salute you if you didn't get the "WTF! OoO" face (or the calmer version "What… O-O?") when you learn exactly WHAT (not who, mind you) Uzumaki Kushina is. I am personally a mix between the two. The good news about this is that I now have some idea of what I could do without going out of bounds. Besides, if the actual creator can do this, then what else can I get away with under the name of fanfiction?

It still makes me wonder how come nobody ever thought of THAT… Wow. I question our creativities as a writer, and lament at the fact that I myself feels rather lacking.

By the way… Bloody Red Habanero… the chilly pepper habanero… I think this gives me some ideas. Same with Tomato. Now I need to go back and see my description of Kushina.

**End spoiler!**

Well, as it stands, I just want to do the usual "things I think you should know" part.

1) Can you imagine Alice going Sparta on them? I can (to an extent), and I must say it's a very interesting yet disturbing image.

2) I'm serious. It is proven that males are more likely to react violently than females. It's part of how our body functions. Besides, testosterone tends to make men… twitchy I think would be the best word to use here.

3) He will have some aggression and frustration despite his happy-go-lucky nature. Naruto has his own dark secrets, and here, it just happens that one of them is his anger towards Minato regardless of who (his father) and what (his idol) he is. Sealing half of a monster that caused seriously amount of childhood trauma and the likes tend to make you slightly bitter if not extremely hateful.

4) Refer back to chapter 12. Penelope is angrier that Naruto took Alice without telling her first than worried about her sister's safety. If anything, she instinctively trusts Naruto with Alice's life. Of course, we all know the reality behind the whole "Alice disappeared with Naruto" situation.

5) A reference to chapter 13.

6) **SPOILER! **Kushina's nickname when she's little because she was chubby (but cute), and with her red hair, she looks like one. I find it cute. **End spoiler.**

Alright, that part out of the way, I well first apologize to all readers who waited on this story. Really, I do. I know what it's like to wait for a story you want to read, but it never gets there (ignoring the fact that when I say this, I am probably being rather arrogant). Secondly, I like to apologize to any readers who find this chapter lacking. Procrastination does that to your ideas at times, and of course, not having played the game and watch enough Disney probably makes me lacking. Or maybe I'm just not really cut out for emotional drama… or drama in general. Oh well, better put in practice then.

Well, that is all I can really think of that I have to say. Drop me a review, be it criticisms or praise, be my guests. Flamers don't bother wasting your time. I take critics, not haters.

APH, Signing off!

PS: If the scene dividers don't work. Please tell me. I'm sometimes rather lazy to check my chapters again after it got posted on. And then there are times screws people over when uploading. So if anything is amiss, don't be afraid to tell me.


	19. Chapter 19

Busy, busy life… No, this story isn't dead. I have half a mind to go back and redo some chapters, but not at the moment. I'll see how things go for now before I go back to edit them.

That said, for those that read and is expecting my other stories, I cannot promise updates for them. Inspiration and planning only works so far, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I'm trying to make everyone happy (that means readers and me) with them, so be patient ne?

And without further ado…

Disclaimer: Me no bloody own Kingdom Hearts, Naruto, or anything in this story except the plot, and perhaps the occasional unknown people (OC) thrown in for plot development. There, I said it.

Read and beta-ed by: Tenebrosus

XXXXXXXXXX

**Wonderland…**

Penelope sighed as she watched the man that called himself Tobi getting used to walking around with a cane. The woman wondered just what it is that makes her keep him around when he is really more trouble than he appears to be. First of all they can't communicate due to a language barrier between that. Whatever they get done is through tedious amount of trial and error as well as an annoying amount of embarrassing situations. Being blind means groping around, and boy did he grope around; at the very least he received more bruising on his cheeks than anything else.

Second of all, the man is… a little bit on the nutty side. Oh who is she kidding? The man is simply crazy, period. He seems to have two personalities: one childish side and one that feels… well, she couldn't really explain.

Finally, the man has a certain charisma and charm to him even though he looks haggard from hardship and suffering from injuries. The man speaks nonsense to her simply because she couldn't understand him, but regardless she can feel his authority as well as untold power within his grasp.

Too bad to someone like Penelope, that sort of authority and power mean nothing to her. That power felt tainted, cursed, and despite his charm and charisma Penelope finds herself holding little to no respect for him. He has power, but unlike Penelope who worked for her own power, his feels like it was cheated and stolen from others.

Thus it begs the question of what has her keeping him under her roof this entire time when she herself finds little to like about the man.

In the words of her ever busy cook: "If you do not like him, throw him out. Otherwise you feel something in your bones that tells you that you have to keep him."

That is probably it, but to tell the truth, Penelope is far from sure of her own indecisiveness in this peculiar situation.

With Naruto, it's more of a combination of reluctance, sympathy, and Alice's insistence. With this Tobi man however… "Just what am I to do with you?" Penelope asks to no one in particular before releasing another sigh. She has been doing a lot of that lately… Is she getting old or is her life simply too full of problems recently? "I am not getting old…"

"Miss, here is your tea." One of the maids call out before setting a tray filled with one large tea pot, two cups with their complimentary plates, a cup full of sugar cubes, and a small pot of cream. Smiling at the maid and thanking her, the head of the house pours herself a cup of tea, drops two cubes of sugar into it, pours a small amount of cream, and then stirs with one of the small spoons lying on the tray. Once she is satisfied with the mixture, she carefully picks up the cup and brings it to her lips and sips at the hot liquid. As the sweet solution washes past her tongue and pours down her throat, the woman lets out a contented sigh. Nothing beats a good cup of tea.

Returning her attention back to the man, Penelope raises one fine eyebrow as she sees him settles into a crouch of sort, his hands held together to form some strange hand gesture and his face full of concentration. If nothing else, the action itself looks odd. As far as Penelope knows the man has been stumbling around blindly (no pun intended) for the entire time he could get to his feet… which he really shouldn't be seeing as how his wounds aren't exactly healed yet.

How that man even musters up the strength to get OUT of bed is beyond her. Seriously, cracked and bruised ribs, a fractured leg and a broken arm, and let's not forget about the several large gashes upon his body. How the hell did the man even survived is beyond her, but Penelope won't question it.

Still, as she watches with curiosity the man starts to mumble out a stream of something under his breath. Whatever it is, Penelope can see that he is rather serious about what he intends to do. Her paranoia born through years of hardship pokes its ugly head up for a moment and she tenses, only to smash it down ruthlessly. It wouldn't do to suspect him, seeing as if he wants to harm them, he has had ample opportunity. Besides, she doubts that someone can blind themselves, sneak into her house, and then pretend to be all weak and whatnot just for some big plot against her.

Then her skin prickles as something… washes over her. A shiver travels down her spine as Penelope grips the edge of the table with wide eyes, wondering what just happened. In all her years, nothing like that ever made her skin crawl. And just as sudden as that feeling reaches her, it is again gone.

Letting out a breath she didn't know that she was holding Penelope shakily gets to her feet, inching a little to the side just in case she needs to bolt. Keeping her eyes upon the strange man that is now frowning while scratching his chin, the woman suspects that whatever it was he just did will most likely happen again, though there is no proof of it. Sighing through her nose as she once again toss her feeling to the side, Penelope sits back down and leans back into her chair letting the tension drain out of her.

For all that is holy, she hopes she doesn't regret letting the man stay after something like this.

…It has been a while now since Alice and Naruto disappeared…

XXXXXXXXXX

**Destiny Island…**

"Achoo!"

"Ne, ne, onii-chan, did you catch a cold?" Alice asks more out of curiosity than concern. As far as the blonde girl knows, Naruto never gets tired or sick or anything that's even remotely detrimental to his health. Over working himself, sure, but he never showed signs of being sick or anything of the like.

If she has to guess, he wouldn't even get sick from soured milk… then again that's probably going a little far.

Regardless as Naruto peers into the sky with what looks like curiosity, Alice asks, "Onii-chan? Are you alright? You're not sick a-choo? Ara?" The girl blinks her eyes as she rubes her nose before she too peers into the sky. "That's strange…"

"Oi, Alice."

Turning her head back to Naruto, the girl smiles and asks, "Hai onii-chan? Is something the matter?"

"Just how long do you plan to stay in this place?" The older blonde asks his voice serious and his eyes sharp. That look would put most people on edge. Alice sadly is not part of "most people" as she proved time and again. In return, she just tilts her head and asks, "Eh? Does this bother you? Kushina-san insisted that we stay longer, and it'd be rude of us not to."

Naruto sighed dejectedly before swiping a hand through his hair, mumbling, "I know that, but if we keep staying here, it'll be a problem…"

"Oi, both of you, get down here! It's dangerous there!" A voice they're getting more familiar with by the day reaches their ears. The two blondes look down from their perch on top of Kushina's house's roof to see the red head glaring at them, fists planted on her hips and lips formed into a grim line. "Especially for you Alice. Get down here before you hurt yourself!"

"Ah, I'll be right down!" The girl replies before she starts to head down, but not before sending Naruto a curious look, asking, "Ne, onii-chan, were you going to say something before?"

Shaking his head the negative, Naruto quickly sends Alice down though he himself stays. Folding his hands and resting his elbows on his knees, the young man looks down just as Alice hops over to Kushina, eyes bright and excited only to cringe as the red head laid into her about safety. Watching the two makes the shinobi smiles, but he quickly wipes it away as the problem that plagues him resurfaces.

This place is too peaceful. His father is too welcoming despite Naruto having practically made him bedridden. Having the Kyuubi meant an advanced healing factor, and Minato sorely lacks that factor. That is why even two days after that fight, Minato is still lying in bed recovering. The truth is that Kushina forbid him from leaving after discovering multiple fractured bones.

Regardless of that fact, Kushina has been a little clingy. There is no mistake that she is Minato's lady, but there is just some reason that is out of Naruto's reach as to why she clings to him. The huge, oversized breakfast, the shopping trips, the outdoor excursions, and even the beach side picnic; she insisted that he and Alice accompany her on all of those. There is that vibe in him that tells him that Kushina is doing all of that for some reason that keeps eluding him. Whenever he asks Minato, the guy just gives him this secretive smirk and sends him on his way with a wave of his hand. It drives Naruto nuts, but he can't do anything about it.

Without Alice, he can't leave this world.

Larxene refuses to cooperate, stating that she wants a good vacation after all the crap she went through or something like that.

Suigintou simply doesn't know what he wants. As far as she is concerned, she can travel to any place within the world, but she never tried to travel out of one before. That and she wouldn't want to try without a medium. At the mention of a medium, she also clammed up once again, thus leading to where he is right now: sitting on top of the roof top and wondering just how is he going to hold onto his drive.

The peace here is affecting him. It makes him wonder if he really needs to go and save the worlds.

Sora is enough for that right? From what Master Yen Sid said, that boy has already done that twice now.

"Really now, what could possibly be occupying that tiny space inside your head Baka Ningen?"

Sighing once more, Naruto turns his head only to duck as something light lands on top of it. Grumbling, he reaches up and easily plucks the offender off despite her protests. Sitting her down onto his lap and putting one hand on top of her head, Naruto effectively silences any protest, though grumbling is another matter. Not that he cares. "Ne, Suigintou, what do you think of this place?"

"It's boring." The doll answers without the slightest hesitation and Naruto sweat drops at the instant decision. With her small hands, the silver haired doll grabs Naruto's own and shifts it slightly on her head, all the while saying, "I don't see what it is that's bothering you. I know that if you wanted to leave badly enough, that girl would comply with your wish… I think."

"What confidence… Don't you know the word 'restraint'?"

"Ara? What's that?" Even without looking, Naruto just know that she has a sly smirk on her face. Still, sighing for who know how many times that day, the blonde lets his body falls backward so that he is lying on the roof. With his hands acting as pillows, his eyes gaze into the sky just as Suigintou takes it upon herself to sit on his chest. "Really Baka Ningen, that face doesn't suit you. Now tell your better what is troubling your puny mind."

"Shut it Kuso Ningyou. The adult is thinking." Naruto replies with a lazy tone before closing his eyes. Letting out a hum, the young man says, "Well, I can't really think… It's too quiet here."

Suigintou laughs. "That's quite interesting. Usually people can't think because it's too noisy. Aren't you just the summit of strangeness?" Laughing a little more, the doll leans forwards to rest her elbows on his chest before propping her chin up with her hands, the First Maiden's smirks remain strong as she says, "Regardless, I wonder what is going on in that head of yours. You really do have a strange expression… It's oddly enticing."

A shiver runs up Naruto's spine as he stares at Suigintou with shock. "Did you… just try to seduce me?"

She hums for a second then says, "Now you're just flattering yourself."

Tsking, Naruto lies back down and goes back to staring at the cloud. His mind drifts for a moment to Shikamaru and smirks thinking that his lazy ass of a friend knows his past time. The clouds are indeed very relaxing and… free. "Man, I really do wish sometimes that I'm like the clouds. They're so free…"

Suigintou frowns as she turns around to stare at the cloud as well and comments, "But they're boring. They just drift around without doing anything." Tilting her head up as much as she can to try and see Naruto's face, she continues, "I mean, where is the action? A life without struggle is so pointless that it isn't even worth thinking about."

"But peace is something that's precious… You could use some of it yourself I'm sure." Naruto answered back and allows a smile to grace his lips. Ignoring the glare from his companion in cloud gazing, the blonde shinobi slowly lets his eyelids drift lower.

Before he falls into slumber, his mind comes to the conclusion that such peaceful life really is making him loose his motivation.

XXXXXXXXXX

When she was absolutely sure that Naruto had fallen asleep, Suigintou carefully sat up, turned around, and slowly crawled so that she is within reaching distance of his face. Looking at it with scrutiny, her amethyst eyes narrowed before relaxing. Sighing, she scratching her head with one hand and says, "Mataku, for someone like him, he sleeps like a baby."

Extending one finger to poke at his whiskers, Suigintou blinked at the way they're just slightly different than his actual skin texture. Just to be sure, she carefully trailed a finger along his jaw line, absentmindedly wondering if he'll grow a beard in the future before running her finger once more over one of the whisker marks. Sure enough, they're just slightly different than the rest of his skin. "How… interesting. I wonder if he's broken a few hearts before."

Blinking once more though this time in astonishment, the First Maiden frowns and says, "Not that it matters. He's just a baka ningen anyway." Yet despite what she said, her finger continues to trail along the marks that adorn Naruto's cheeks with feather light touch. On one particular stroke, Naruto purred, and Suigintou's eyebrows disappear into her hairline before a devious smirk makes it way up her face, saying, "Hoho? Blackmail material acquired!"

"Now if I actually cared, I'd say you're enjoying this." Suigintou tenses at the voice not too far from her side. She knows who that is. "But since I don't, I'll just chuck it up to one of your fancies." Larxene purred out with a lazy smile. Crouched a few steps away with her arms resting on her knees, the Nobody's eyes are half-lidded but hold a hint of playfulness. How something that is incapable of feeling can replicate emotions to such an extent is beyond Suigintou's comprehension, but she shoves that aside in favorite of annoyance. "Ara? Did I make the doll angry?"

"Hush you imbecile. You know not what you are saying. Now leave me well alone before you embarrass yourself." Suigintou replies haughtily, hoping to drive the Nobody away or annoy her at the very least. Of course Larxene just smirks a knowing smirk before she says, "Kushina wants the blondie. I suggest you wake him up now before she comes up here herself."

"Oh? Now I wonder what that red head wants." The First Maiden questions to herself before shrugging. "Ma, not like it matters. Now let us see what I can do with this…"

One arm, dressed in black silk sleeves with lace frills decoration reaches into the sky with the hand stretched into a palm.

It falls…

**SLAP!**

XXXXXXXXXX

"ITAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Kushina jumps at the yelp as she looks around in worry. The red head then focuses her attention to the origin of the voice: on top of her roof. "KUSO NINGYOU! JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! **SLAP! **ARGH! STOP THAT!"

"Urusai ne baka ningen. A little manner would do you good. Then again I suppose your pea sized brain cannot comprehend such complicated gestures."

"Why I ought to…"

"Turn me into firewood? I said it before and I shall continue to say until your limited intelligence understands: I am made of CLAY!"

"I don't give a damn! You're going down!"

"Huh? D-don't shake me baka ningen! That is not how you treat a lady!"

"I don't not a lady. I see a spoiled brat that needs a long overdue spanking!"

"How RUDE!" **SLAP!**

"Hoo…?" The Uzumaki girl mumbles, her eyes wide in surprise and understanding. She blinks once when the third slap sounds out. "Hmm… I wonder if I should interfere… It would serve to get Naru-chan down faster…"

"I wouldn't bother. They seem to be having fun." Turning to her side, Kushina watches as Larxene approaching her from the place she landed on upon leaping off the roof. With her hands folded behind her head, the woman holds eye contact with the red head and says, "Besides, I personally think that she's good at teaching him manners."

"…I think his manners are good enough…" The red head finds herself pouting before she shrugs and heads for the house. "But if they are having fun, I suppose I could leave them alone… Besides, you have just so wonderfully volunteered yourself!"

"Eh? Wait just a minute!"

"Right?" Kushina never lets Larxene finish her protests, because just as the blonde woman is about to continue, the red head turns around and offers her a sweet smile. It isn't the smile that froze Larxene mid tirade, but rather the way Kushina's hair, flows around her without wind. The Nobody could swear that there is a sinister aura about the teenager girl. "Now come along. There is much to do!"

"H… Hai…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Rubbing his sore cheeks, the blonde shinobi grumbles as he glares at the triumphant doll floating not too far away from him. The doll packs quite a punch. "So… why did you wake me up?"

Suigintou blinks as she peers down over the roof. Naruto follows her sight just in time to see Kushina pulling a very reluctant Larxene into the house. Blinking his eyes, Naruto turns his attention back to Suigintou just in times to see her smile sweetly and says, "Not a thing I suppose. Larxene apparently decided to… ah, volunteer in your place."

Naruto feels a surge of emotion in him, though he is unsure whether he should feel annoyed or –oddly enough- jealous. There is a hint of relief though as he sort of dreads what Kushina would have him do. Past experience told him that if a girl wants something and asks you to go with them, more than half of the time it were to drag you around as a pack mule to their shopping spree. He has yet to experience that with Kushina, though he was convinced to tag along with her on a trip to the store nearby.

In exchange she fed him home-made ramen…

Lots and lots of home-made ramen.

"Baka ningen, stop staring. You might give others the wrong idea."

Sending glare at the teasing smirk on Suigintou's face, Naruto stands up and stretches, wondering just how long he'd slept. He suppose not long, because the sun's position didn't really shift much. Tilting his head, he allows his eyes to wander the horizon before they land upon the dock. Remembering that they came upon a boat and hid it there, Naruto scratches his cheeks and said, "Say… I think I'll go explore that island we came upon before."

"Not that I mind or anything, but why would you bother? Besides I doubt that girl will be happy when she finds you missing." Suigintou voices out with an airy wave of her hand and an I-can-care-less shrug. Naruto in returns just tilts his head and says, "I don't know. I just feel like I should."

Suigintou offers a nod before wordlessly settles herself onto his shoulder. Naruto raises an eyebrow in question and she just says, "Someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble. With how much of a trouble magnet you are, I doubt the trip would be peaceful."

"Such arrogance."

"It's call confidence. Know the difference please baka ningen."

Without answering, Naruto settles a hand on Suigintou's lap – much to her blushing protest- and takes a great leap. The only reason Suigintou isn't screaming is because she was somewhat used to this from when Larxene chased him around with lightning. That doesn't mean she didn't fist her hands into Naruto's hair to get a better grip while ignoring his brief wince of pain.

It doesn't take them long at all to reach the boat tucked safely away. With a quick hand sign, Naruto creates a clone and has it push the boat into the water while he himself gets in and holds out the oar. Soon enough the blond shinobi finds his feet firmly planted on the sandy beach of the island his company and he dropped on. A quick circle around it serves to remind him that there really isn't anything special about this particular place.

Well, if you rule out the tree that gives out star-shaped fruits, then it really isn't anything to look at.

Most likely, and Naruto really does believe that, this island served as a sort of play ground for children.

"Ah? You're that guy who Kushina-senpai has been dragging around lately! What was it again? Naru… something!" A cheerful voice calls out from behind Naruto after his second lap around the small island. The blond shinobi turns around, almost dropping into a combat stance when he finds himself faced with a big, cheerful smile and bright, green eyes. The girl has brown hair that curls at the end, making what would be shoulder length strands defy gravity and gives her a sort of a "bouncy" manner. Dressed in a yellow sundress and white slippers, the girl currently has her hands folded behind her while leaning forward and inspecting him as if one would inspect a friend one hasn't seen in a long time. "Hmm… You REALLY do look like Minato-senpai's clone! Amazing!"

Gentling switching Suigintou from his shoulder to the crock of his elbow –and silently thanking her for being quiet and still- Naruto asks hesitantly, "And… you are?"

The girl giggles in delight at the hesitation in Naruto's voice and answers, "I'm Solphie! Tilmitt Solphie! What's your name?"

"Uzumaki… Naruto…"

"Oh? Fishcake?"

"MAELSTROM! IT MEANS MAELSTROM DAMN IT!"

Light hearted giggles fill the air as the girl covers her mouth with one hand while the other holds her stomach. Naruto just pouts and grumbles, taking care not to squeeze Suigintou too tight at the same time in his frustration. "You're funny nii-san." Naruto finds his face softening at the innocent reply. The girl smiles brightly and asks, "What are you doing here nii-san? And is that your doll? She's so pretty!"

Coughing, the young man finds himself at a loss of word. He isn't used to interacting with civilians. His past experience with them includes either angry glares, harsh whispers, or annoying hero worship that he wanted to avoid. Here is a girl that has a small frame with those unquestioned innocent eyes firing questions at him despite him being practically a stranger. She is either too trusting –the shinobi side of him noted- or a very good judge of character –the Naruto side noted.

"Ne, ne~~! Are you ignoring me? Nii-san? Hello?" The girl calls out while pouting, though she still manages to look quite cheerful. Naruto snaps out of his thoughts only to offer a sheepish smile in return. The girl "mou"-ed with another pout, though that is quickly replaced by a curious smile. "Ne, what is nii-san doing out here?"

Without thinking much, Naruto replies, "I'm thinking I suppose…"

"Eh? What are you thinking about?" Solphie asks, her smile stretching in a thirst to know before it turns teasing. "You're not being ecchi are you? After all, this sundress isn't exactly… innocent."

"Huh?" Rather unsure of what to say, Naruto finds himself turning his attention to her sundress. Indeed the dress is JUST decent with how it stops on her thighs, and the straps are JUST a little too long, and the lines JUST a little too low, showing that yes, she does have cleavage despite how young she looks. The young man finds himself blushing only to turn away quickly, offering up a quick denial that is practically ruined by his reaction. Solphie just giggled.

"Nii-san no ecchi!" Solphie teases and Naruto visibly deflates in sorrow. The girl giggles some more before she skips around him and faces him once more. "So what IS nii-san thinking about?"

"Eh… It's complicated." This time Naruto attempts to dodge the question while absent-mindedly stroke Suigintou's hair. He could swear that the doll shivered, but he chalks it up into his imagination. "You probably won't get it."

"Mou! I'm not a kid! Besides, kaa-chan always says that telling others, even if it's just a stranger, is better than bottling it up inside." Solphie counsels with a sagely nod, though Naruto deadpans and thinks, _Apparently she doesn't know that talking to the wrong person can be quite horrible._ "So… are you going to tell me?"

"Not if I can help it." The answer has Solphie pouting again. Naruto only offers her a smile that doesn't really have any meaning behind it. The girl's eyes narrow in contemplation before she snaps her finger and says, "Alright. I'll get it out of you somehow! Before then, how about I give you a tour of this here island? I'm sure just walking around it is boring."

"Do you usually talk to strangers like this?" Naruto blurts out with a deadpan, and if she could, Suigintou would have nodded her head in agreement. This Solphie is really too trusting.

"No actually. It's just that anyone Kushina-senpai associates with, no matter how they look, is not bad people. Kushina-senpai knows what she is doing after all!" Solphie replies and Naruto has to admire her loyalty to his hostess. So without much as a question, he starts to follow the energetic girl into a rather specific and detailed tour around the island.

Truth be told, it isn't anything special. She went over things that usually consisted of her and her friends, with many mention of Kairi and Sora and Riku. Tossing the names around in musing, Naruto keeps half a mind on Solphie as she show off the "secret entrance" just slightly to the side of the only waterfall on the island. Naruto has to blink at that, wondering just HOW he missed it, but chalked it up to negligence.

Solphie tells Naruto many stories, though most if not all are things that he isn't interested in. But to not upset the girl, he keeps a smile on and nods at the appropriate time. Suigintou surprisingly didn't make a single whispered snide comment the entire time, but he isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She also mentioned something about a blue haired lady with blue eyes in a halter top, bike shorts, and some half skirt. When Naruto questions upon that, the girl just giggles and says, "Sora and Riku wouldn't stop talking about that for two days. Nobody knew who that is and nobody saw her. Only Sora and Riku saw her. But then again they wouldn't lie for any reason."

Pondering upon that strange piece of random information, Naruto finally shrugs before resuming listening to Solphie. However, that piece of information oddly enough keeps plaguing his mind.

_So something happened when Sora and Riku are very young…? People with noticeable traits like that don't just appear then disappear… Except maybe Konan… Speaking of whom, I wonder what happened to her…_

XXXXXXXXXX

"So you're really not going to tell me?" Solphie drills the blond young man with narrowed eyes. After the tour that surprisingly took almost an hour to complete, the two have settle down on the lone paopu fruit tree that jutted out and leaned to the side like a make shift bench.

Somehow, Solphie has managed to drag Naruto there and produced a stick of Sea Salt Ice Cream from… somewhere.

"Nope. The bribe failed by the way." Naruto replies before adding, and just to make a point, he takes a long suck from the ice cream with a smug look upon his face. The girl pouts once more before shrugging as she too takes a few licks from her own ice cream. "So now that the tour is over, what else do you have in mind? In fact, what ARE you doing here yourself?"

"Hoo? I was just going to go someplace that's a little quieter than where I am usually at." Solphie replies with a shrug, though upon seeing the disbelief on Naruto's face, she glares, "Hey! Just because I'm cheerful and chirpy doesn't mean I don't like peace and quiet once in a while!"

Naruto chuckles before shifting so that Suigintou is leaning against his side more naturally. The doll has yet to utter a single sound or made a single gesture, however tiny. "I suppose."

"Of course! It's the absolute truth. Even cheerful people need a break every now and then." The girl exclaims happily, a beaming smile her face and her free hand pumping into the air. A second later she appears more subdued, her smile softening into a small melancholy one while her shoulders slouching slightly. "Besides, it's not like there's anyone to play around with."

Upon seeing Naruto's raised eyebrow, Solphie says, "Well, Kairi disappeared to who knows where with Sora and Riku. Kushina-senpai is busy with something as well as running the tennis team. She's the captain by the way if you didn't know." The blond is more curious about what tennis is than what Kushina does when she's not in her house. "The boys are off being rowdy somewhere. I don't fancy getting myself covered in their sweat. Don't get me wrong! They're good people, but sometimes they can be a little bit overbearing." Naruto wonders if that is what the kunoichis back in the Leaf thought about the general male shinobi population. "Then there is Lulu. She's so quiet and serious! Only Kairi seems to be able to make her crack a smile; make that Kairi and Wakka. I think Wakka likes Lulu, but don't tell him that I told you that!" Who the hell is Wakka, let alone Lulu? "The other girls are all too… fan-girlish. It bugs me." A shiver travels down Naruto's spine, though it come and goes unnoticed by the girl. "And the adults… well, I can't exactly find anything to talk to them with. I suppose it's the age gap… By the way, you never did answer me about the doll."

Blink.

"This?" Naruto gently moves Suigintou into his lap –least he draw her wrath later for not "properly handling her"- and then gives a pause. The young man hums and then says, "Well, Suigintou here isn't exactly mine… She's WITH me, but she's not exactly mine. She belongs more to herself I suppose, though Alice keeps insisting that she's mine. Alice is that blonde haired girl with Kushina by the way."

Solphie makes an "O" with her mouth as she nods her head before she blinks her eyes in confusion. "Belongs to herself? What do you mean by that?"

Naruto silently curses himself for the small slip before saying, "Eh, it's just that she doesn't really belong to anyone. It is more like she's here as a companion instead of some simple decoration, yes?" Cue internal wince at the rebukes the First Maiden will lay into him later. "Besides, she keeps Alice busy when there is nothing else to do." However his idea is very different from what Solphie imagined… definitely.

"Oh… So her name is Suigintou? Mercury Lamp? Interesting name…"

"Yes… She was named that, but I don't know why. She was entrusted to us you see…" Naruto says before quickly explaining, his smile sheepishly and a hand scratching at the back of his neck. Solphie nods with an understanding smile before taking another lick of her now almost-gone ice cream. The girl then hums before asking, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where Kairi and Riku went now would you?"

Eye brow raised, Naruto asks, "No Sora? Just Riku?"

Blush. The other eyebrow raised. Blushes further.

Cue diabolical grin. "Ah…"

"I-I-I-IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! I'M JUST WORRIED IS ALL! A-AH!"

"Right… But hey, since you told me one of your secret, I'll give you why I'm here." That immediately calms the girl down from her blushing storm, though a light blush is still present on her face. "I'm here to try to figure out a sort of a… dilemma."

Solphie hums in thought before making a gesture for him to continue. Naruto does as instructed. "There is something I have to do, somewhere I have to be. I don't exactly know what, but it's sort of my duty to go there, do it, and return with a triumphant smile and say that I kicked ass." Solphie giggles at that, and Naruto offers a soft smile in return before he continues. "But I like it here… I don't want to leave. There are other people that can do that job, so why do I have to go then?"

"Oh… I guess that make sense… Is this thing that you're supposed to do important?"

"Eh? I suppose it is… But I don't exactly know what it is I'm doing though."

"Ah… Soka… is it dangerous?"

"I don't know either. I don't even know where I'm supposed to go… Though from past experience, it does involve its risk."

"Ah…" Solphie mutters as she stares up into the sky for a moment before nodding. "Kaa-chan said that sometimes, there are things we just have to do. It may not be pretty and it may not be nice, but it is _right_. She also said that if by doing this, you can spare someone else from the trouble, then why wouldn't you? …I don't really understand what she was trying to say though." The girl adds on the last part with a sheepish grin, an embarrassed blush on her face, and one finger gently scratching at her cheek. "Ma, kaa-chan was always into this weird advice. I don't get most of it, but people usually say that they make sense."

Of course, when she finally focuses on Naruto, she finds him to be nowhere in sight. In fact, even Suigintou is gone. All that was left was a finished ice cream stick stuck in the ground with a message written in the dirt.

It says, _Thanks. That really does make sense. Your mom is a genius, so treat her well._

The girl blinks once, twice, before smiling softly and says to no one in particular, "Even he gets it, and I thought he was sort of an idiot… though I can't exactly judge him. Oh well, not like it matters… But he better not tell anyone about me liking Riku. I'll castrate him with a blunt spoon…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Minato sighs as Kushina probes and pokes at his bruises and injuries. Other than some tingling, the blonde teen really doesn't feel that bad. Actually he can pretty much ignore his sore muscles and the way certain actions cause a bruise to flare up.

Of course, his beloved Ku-chan would have none of it. In fact, she somehow managed to grab Larxene –who he doesn't really know other than what Kushina blabs to him when changing his medicine and bandages- to help out. The woman looks extremely reluctant though.

He would even go as far as to say that she is more inclined to put him down for a longer period of time, if the way her eyebrow twitches is any indication.

So if she's here to help… "Ku-chan, did you go "Hot-Blooded Habanero" on her?"

That earns him a spine-shivering smile and teeth-rottingly sweet reply of "Not at all Minato. Not at all…"

"Err… right, of course you didn't." Minato says with a nervous laugh. Kushina returns a soft smile before clapping her hands, stating, "Alright. I think you're okay now. I don't know why, but you always heal fast."

_You heal fast too… In fact you Uzumaki members are known for their long lives…_ Minato mentally deadpans while physically he offers a smile. Swinging his legs over the bed Minato stands up and stretches, popping stiff joints and pulling at tight muscles. Once he is satisfied, the ex-Hokage grins and says, "Alright then. I think I need to track Naruto down for a long overdue talk. That is assuming he hasn't figured out things yet."

"Oh? You think he'll be leaving soon?" Kushina asks with a smile between sadness and understanding. Minato returns a smile that's nearly identical, though there are hints of pride in it. Larxene raises an eyebrow at all that and shifts her weight around from one foot to the other. Seeing that look, Kushina smiles and says, "Don't think too much on it. He'll figure it out sometime, and I'm sure he'll tell you."

"It doesn't really matter to me. I don't really give a damn about what he does. My… acquaintance just threw me in the same direction Naruto went." Larxene says while shrugging. There is a distinctive air of annoyance around her, though she really doesn't notice it. "Still, if I want to, I can leave anytime I want."

"Hoo?" Kushina mumbles before a knowing smirk reaches onto her face. A sharp glance at Minato later has him flying out of the room and the door slamming close behind him.

The blonde teen protests, "Oi! That's my room damn it!"

"Urusai! I'm having girl talk. Go out and play or something." Is Kushina's reply from beyond the barrier of his door, making Minato slump in defeat and before sighing in exasperation.

"Oh well… now let's see where Naruto is…"

Speak of the devil… "So that's where you were hiding…"

"It's called tending to my wounds." Minato replies with a mock frown, his cheeks puffing up in a pout that makes Naruto blink back blankly. Seeing that reaction the ex-Hokage sighs and says, "You're no fun. Anyway, I was just about to look for you. Let's take a walk and talk while we're at it. We never really did have enough time to talk when you went Eight-Tailed last time."

Naruto blinks once more. "You know about that…? Actually, how did you know about that?"

"Hmm… Time is a strange thing. I remember sealing the Kyuubi then fighting non-stop in the Shinigami's stomach. I also remember finding myself in the seal with you and talking to you. Then I find myself here as a new born baby, lived an ordinary life, met Ku-chan again, and then met you two to three years older than what I remembered." Minato pauses here with a tilt of his head. "Ma, it's all confusing. I don't really get it though I have some idea, but nothing solid mind you. Either way, let's talk about something else. How do you like the island so far?"

Naruto makes a non-committing sound at that. He blinks as he finds himself walking down a street with Minato while having no idea where they're going. He has to smirk at that as he gets a taste of his actual skill. To be able to nondescriptly lead him around without him noticing is not easy. The blonde shinobi mentally shrugs as he says, "It's peaceful here."

"Ahaha, I suppose it is. Nothing special ever happens here. Well, at least nothing TOO special." Minato comments before correcting himself thinking of the various strange things that happened here and there in the past. For example he sort of remembers the place breaking down and getting sucked into a portal, only to be restored with pretty much everyone either not noticing or simply forgetting it. Then there is the occasional humanoid creature that pops out of these black bubbles; small things with yellow eyes and antennas on their head. Those were usually quickly disposed of with a kick from Kushina or a punch from Minato –there is just this need to get rid of them. "Regardless of that, Destiny Island is in general a very peaceful place. It's good for retirement haha."

"Aren't you a little young to be retired?" Naruto asks with a blank face. Minato just smirks and says, "You know what I mean. Or could you be just a tad too slow hmm?" The ex-Hokage dodges a punch at that, laughing up a storm with a fuming Naruto glaring at him; probably wishing to bury him alive with his look alone.

If looks could kill… that is.

"Ma, you need to learn to relax. If you don't, I'll call you Kakashi the Second."

"Huh? Kakashi-sensei doesn't know how to relax? But he was usually so lazy!" Naruto exclaims in shock, and Minato blinks back saying, "Really? I guess time can change anyone. Either way, you should stop being so serious."

"Whatever…"

"By the way…" Stopping in his walk, Minato points a finger at Naruto. Or rather, he points at what is on top of Naruto's head. "What is she doing here?"

"Suigintou decided to tag along…" Is the answer Naruto provides.

"I am here to keep him out of trouble." Is what Suigintou says with a smirk.

Minato has to wonder about his son's insane life at times…

XXXXXXXXXX

Talking about nothing and everything is a good way to get to know his son Minato figures, and he isn't wrong. It's just that Naruto isn't the most forth coming person when it comes to certain things. The only way that seems to snap him out of any brooding at the moment is Suigintou's insults, and those only have so much effect.

The hardest thing to pry out of Naruto is information about any of his friends in Konoha. Who, what, when, where, how and why are all unknowns when it comes to most of his friends. He learned that Kakashi was his teacher. He learned that there was an Uchiha on his team. He learned that he knew two Hyuuga members, one main and one branch.

Basically, he learned nothing at all. That sort of annoyed Minato, but he understands.

Naruto did mention something about a war sometime into their walk. 'It must be painful.' That's what Minato thought with an understanding smile, though Naruto doesn't return any.

Then, as if by some unknown signal, Minato just knew that it's now or never. So with the smile still in place, he asks, "Won't you stay for a few more days?"

Naruto just had a sense of déjà vu. That is what his expression says, though as he opens his mouth to answer… "Of course we will. I personally would like to taste Kushina-san's cooking a little longer. Besides, I rather like Alice's baking. It would be a sad thing to not be able to taste them because we're constantly on the move." Suigintou cuts in with a smirk, arms folded and head tilted to the side with her legs crossed. It makes for an imposing imagine, but it is sadly ruined with her size and her location: on top of Naruto's head.

Still, when Naruto didn't protest and instead gives him a small shrug, Minato knows that things will keep going for a few more days.

With that in mind, he easily picks up where the casual conversation drops off. Just like that, the trio wonders the street with no clear destination in mind, the two men speaking with no restriction and the only female within them keeping a quiet but observant eye on them.

Minato truly wished that things would stay like this forever…

XXXXXXXXXX

**Radiant Garden…**

"I guess we should be going now." Sora says with dejection, his shoulders slump and his head low. This is due to his inability to pry further information from Squall ("Call me Leon for Merlin's sake!") despite all his effort.

Sweat, tears, and blood are used, but the result is hardly worth it in the Keyblade wielder's opinion. In fact, the consequences for when they return to Destiny Island seems to out weight any justification for staying any longer. Those consequences are inevitable, so no matter how long he stalls he will have to face it.

After all, Kairi puts it best: The Hot-Blooded Habanero can holds onto grudges like no other.

"Yes. We should be going. We ended up staying for more than the one day I planned… I want to get this over with before Kushina-senpai has any more reason to increase her wrath." Kairi half moans half sighs, shoulders slightly shaking at the terror that is her senpai. She debates about wiping away the tear that gathers at the corner of her eyes before thinking better of it since they'll just return in a new batch. Sighing once more, the Princess of Hearts says, "I am beginning to doubt that Alice is even in any trouble at all. Leon seems to be keeping quite tight lipped on this…"

"I personally find it to be rather strange." Riku comments as he slowly checks over their temporary rooms for anything left behind. A scowl currently on his face as he imagines the horror Kushina-sempai will lay on them for 'keeping Kairi away from her responsibility' and 'being a bad influence to the sweet and cute kouhai.' "I mean why are Leon and the rest keeping such tight lips on it if this Naruto person is really dangerous? In fact, why aren't they panicking about Alice missing at all?"

"Well… it's possible that this Naruto guy knows some magic that alters memories?" Sora suggests hesitantly, though Kairi and Riku shares a knowing look at it that is completely lost to the boy. He voices that by saying, "Oi, oi, is there something I should know?"

Sora's two friends turn to him as one and chorus, "Naminé."

"Huh? What does Naminé has to do with… Oh… Ooohh… You don't suppose he has someone like Naminé… do you?"

"It's possible, but not likely." Riku answers with a shrug. His muscular arms are currently crossed over his chest while he leans against the bed that Sora has been using for the past few days. "It isn't impossible for someone like that to exist, though I doubt this Naruto guy has someone like that under his control. We shouldn't rule out that possibility though."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Sora says nodding then stretching. A big grin blossoms onto his face and he says, "Well, I suppose we really should be going. If there isn't anything to worry about and no Heartless or Nobody activity, we should head back and take care of things." He tries to ignore the way Kairi pales and shivers, but he fails miserably. "Ah… if it makes you feel better Kairi, I'll stand right next to you…"

"Thanks… try not to die." Kairi answers sincerely, and Sora shivers and pales at the last part, his grin meeting quite a horrible death too. Riku gives them both a sympathetic smile, but that smile vanishes when they both glare at him.

"Fine… I'll be there too… But if I die and you two survive, consider your asses haunted."

"…By the way, you two do remember summer school… right?" Kairi asks, casting off her terror in favor of reminding the two boys of their own responsibilities. Judging by the way they pale… "You don't…? Wait, don't tell me… You guys have being goofing off haven't you?"

"OH SHIT! I FORGOT! MOM IS GOING TO KILL ME!" Sora exclaims with hands fisted in his hair, eyes wide and tearing. His teeth are gritting so hard that sparks practically fly from them. "Oh MAN! I'm so GROUNDED!"

Riku on the other hand is the exact opposite. He is calm and unruffled about it… if you ignore the dead look in his eyes. "Oh damn… I just remember that project I was supposed to do with a partner… Namikaze Minato… was it?" At this part he lets out a creepy laugh that is just above a whisper, but not quite on his normal volume. It's more of an "ohohohoho" to tell the truth.

Upon seeing this, Kairi lets loose a nervous laugh while trying and failing spectacularly to come up with encouragements. After struggling for a few seconds, her head drops and her chin meets her chest, saying, "We are so doomed…"

Outside the room, just by the door that leads into it, Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Merlin, Cid, Tifa and surprisingly Cloud are all eavesdropping on their conversation. At first it was to get an idea of what the trio are thinking about Naruto and what they are planning to do about it (after the group pounds the fact into Cloud's head that he isn't a menace), but now it's more out of worry for their seemingly inevitable doom that hang over their head. The groups' reactions vary from person to person from what they just heard, though there is a general design between them all.

Yuffie puts it best into words. "They are so fucking screwed… aren't they?"

The collective nods from everyone answer that question. They all silently send a prayer to whoever is listening up there to keep this trio safe.

XXXXXXXXXX

AN:

Before anyone gives me grief about Madara/Tobi, he has a role to play, though not as the villain. Sure he will be "evil" in a sense, but not "world-domination-bitch" sense. That and I plugged off his eyes. They are for something else…

The chapter is proof read and beta-ed. However mistakes can be glossed over. If you find one, don't be afraid to point them out. Keep in mind too that the English grammar is as annoying as anything one can possibly imagine, so don't expect them to be perfect.

I'm half tempted to have you guys submit omake ideas, but I rather not disappoint anyone. You CAN do that, just not to expect too much since I may or may not find the place to use them. In fact, I sometimes think that I might not even be able to use any omake at all! Speaking of submitting ideas, I'm curious as to what worlds you guys think will suit Naruto's travel. This won't affect me as much, but some inspiration won't hurt. That said, give me some ideas.

Where do you think Naruto should go to? Just keep the place only slightly dark. I can't have you guys traumatizing Alice as of yet.

Well, that's all there is to say. There isn't a "things I think you should know" part this time because I'm too lazy to make one and I can't seem to remember where I want them made. So… umm… right.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review if you can and tell me what you think and how I can possibly improve this story.

APH signing off!


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